I became insane with long intervals of horrible sanity.
Edgar Allen Poe

The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all.
- H. L. Mencken

Many people would sooner die than think; In fact, they do so
-Bertrand Russell

What I have been telling you, from alpha to omega, what is the one great thing the sigil taught me — that everything in life is miraculous. For the sigil taught me that it rests within the power of each of us to awaken at will from a dragging nightmare of life made up of unimportant tasks and tedious useless little habits, to see life as it really is, and to rejoice in its exquisite wonderfulness. If the sigil were proved to be the top of a tomato-can, it would not alter that big fact, nor my fixed faith. No Harrowby, the common names we call things by do not matter — except to show how very dull we are ...
-James Branch Cabell

March 17, 2014 - 1:08 p.m.

Someone's in the Kitchen with Dinah or is that Horvendile or is maybe Frank?

Whew, I finally finished my procrastinating. I started first thing when I got up. Never put off procrastinating, You'll just have to procrastinate more later to make up for it.

Just got mad at a psychiatrist I saw in my early 20s who diagnosed me with procrastination and didn't hint at anxiety. I waited 30 years to get mad; now that's procrastination. I am going to try and become anticrastination.

That last paragraph says a lot about who I am.

After updating yesterday I was hungry and wanted to make breakfast but there was someone cooking in the kitchen so I waited. The kitchen isn't big enough for two people to work at once. That is called foreshadowing. Of course just as I was going in somebody started cooking. It was just frying an egg so I sat at the table while she cooked it. The stairway stomper has been replaced by someone that seems OK.

When she left I made bacon and popped the leftover pancakes in the microwave. The nice thing about microwaving cold pancakes is that you but the butter and syrup on before you put it in so everything comes out hot. it was great.

I had to eat dinner early as I had to leave here at 6:06. Yes not 6:05, Google maps is very exact as to times and they usually know what they are talking about. That meant putting my jerk chicken in at 5:00. There was nobody in the kitchen when I started. I put the jerk seasoning in chicken and popped it in the oven. Next I had to chop up the potatoes. I had everything laid out on the kitchen table. I ran into my room to get something I came back and my nemesis, formerly the thief, decided that was a great time to make dinner and started cooking despite the fact that he could see I was in the middle of making my dinner. The chicken was in and I had a deadline so I couldn't wait. I had to take the potatoes and wash them in my bathroom as I couldn't get to the kitchen sink. He didn't say a word to me the entire time. I said hello and he ignored it. I ran back to my room every time I had to wait for something even if it was just 4 minutes because it was just too uncomfortable in there. He just doesn't know how to live with people. I'm not the only one here that thinks that.

Now on to pleasant things. The reason I had to go out was to see Spuyten Duyvil and Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen at Jalopy. Jalopy just earned a macro, no more typing in the link. jalopy I just four miles away but it's a pain to get to. It's two trains and walk a mile or one train and walk a mile and a half or what I actually did the to the B61 bus. Google said the timing worked and it was right. I waited less than a minute for the bus. It took about 40 minutes.

Surprise, I was doing merch for Spuyten Duyvil. Beth already head it set up before I got there. Frank's wife Leah did it for Dirty Kitchen. I was just showing off that I remembered her name.

This is hanging from the ceiling in front of the bar.

I had to resist going into the dead parrot sketch. I did post it on Facebook with the caption "Ex Parrot! He's pining for the fjords.

I can't write about Jalopy without showing you this.

Do you know who it is? It's Thomas Jefferson. What's his connection? All I can think of is that he plays the violin. He tucks it right under his chin � . I was discussing with Beth why he's naked. It seems odd for a president. We don't see many statues of Abe Lincoln naked. I believe it's because its' done in the style of a classical sculpture. I saw a painting of Washington in a toga. It was a thing back then.

As you can see Gavin sat in on mandolin. There was no fiddler. Spuyten Duyvil has many configurations. Don't worry John and Jim are there, you just can't see them.

Spuyten Duyvil is part of the home team. I see them often. They are friends. They have their own macro. I have also run out of things to write about them. How many ways can I say that I love them? How do I love Sputyen Duyvil? Let me count the ways � in 4/4 time. What you thought I would waltz my way through this? I' still like taking their pics too.


Rik and Gavin


Beth being Beth


Mark sans hat. I like the look


I told you John and Jim were there


Hannah joined them on vocals for a few songs

There was a break between acts. I took advantage of it to get a cappuccino. I don't like ordering that when the music is on because it's loud. it was good but not as good as the hot chocolate I had before the show. I love that they are both a bar and a coffee bar. I don't drink alcohol but I love coffee and hot chocolate.

Like the Way Station the bathroom gets my attention at jalopy. It isn't a TARDIS but it is unique. It has a wood theme.


Look it's a selfie
!

Anyone can review the music but other than me who is going to review the bathrooms?

I first saw Dirty Kitchen at NERFA. I was walking down the hallway on the way to someplace else and heard great bluegrass music. I went into the room and saw them. That's what NERFA is about. Bluegrass is one of those things that I know far less about than anyone who actually knows about it but far more about than the average person. I at least know that having a banjo doesn't make it bluegrass. It doesn't even make it newgrass. I see far more newgrass than bluegrass. Bluegrass has a well defined structure even though I don't know most of the details. One obvious things I that each instrument takes its turn playing lead while the others play a simple supporting role. This is going to be read by bluegrass musicians so I better not say more and dig and even deeper hole for myself. But the point is that much but not all of what Dirty Kitchen plays is genuine bluegrass It is like a string pf cadenzas designed to let the musicians show off their skills. Frank and the other members of Dirty Kitchen (appliances?) have awesome skills. The music runs through these guys. I'm not sure you can be a bad bluegrass musician. If you aren't good you can't play bluegrass at all. I've seen plenty of dreadful folkies who can't play guitar or sing worth a damn but a bluegrass player's fingers would fall off if he were that badly. I have seen Del McCoury a few times and these guys are better. They get your blood pumping and keep it pumping. Though they play pure bluegrass it isn't all they play. Let's see how good you are. What is Frank playing here?

No it is not a mandolin. it's way too big. Did you think it was on HGH? That's a mandola. At one point that was the more common instrument. mandolin means little mandola just as violin means little viola. The mandola's name is Nelson. Don't blame me, Frank said it. But back to my point. They don't just play bluegrass. The first song Frank played on the Mandola was rock and roll. Yes you can rock with an acoustic guitar, mandola,, stand up bass, and banjo. In the sixties it would have been a hit. In a just world it would still be a hit. I'd give Paul's eye teeth to have them play it at the Budgiedome. They covered the Band's The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down. They finished with a traditional bluegrass song and please shoot me now as I can't finish the joke because I have no memory. It was some classic rock song that they did as bluegrass. For the life of me I can't remember what it was. It's all that hot chocolate I've drunk. It burned out my little gray cells.

Here's what they look like


Now that's a mandolin


view from the back


He plays fiddle too


Lords of Liechtenstein I found your long lost brother

Getting home from the show was more problematic than getting there. If I left as soon as the music ended I could have caught a bus and made it home by midnight. But after that none of the busses or trains worked well together. I asked Beth if she could give me a ride to Borough Hall where I can catch the . She could. It is on their way back home so I felt OK asking. Her mother was with her. Her family had a business around there and I was told stories and shown the sights.

My timing was perfect. I got to the platform as it was announced the train was coming. I made it home in no time.

Spuyten Duyvil and Frank Solivan

I have a busy week of music ahead, even for me.

Tuesday � Kristin Andreassen and Alex Spiegelman
Thursday � Mike and Ruthy followed by Miss Tess
Friday � The YaYas
Saturday � Christine Lavin and Hugh O'Dougherty

The electricity went out as I typed out Thursday. It's back.

Oy, I am off to make breakfast and I just heard someone light the burner in the kitchen.


I signed the Pro-Truth Pledge:
please hold me accountable.





Memories: Not that Horrid Song - May 29, 2018
Wise Madness is Now In Session - May 28, 2018
The NFL and the First Amendment - May 27, 2018
On The Road Again - May 26, 2018
Oliver the Three-Eyed Crow - May 25, 2018



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Horvendile March 17, 2014
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