OLDPAGES 42 THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2007 THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN Yes, even during the dog days of August, the season has tipped, fall is in the air, leaves are curling and falling, and, arriving right on schedule, comes my huge dumptruck load of douglas fir, five cords, end pieces cut off of logs at the sawmill, this should last me a couple of years.
Now for the fun part. Making smaller pieces out of big pieces. Break out the chain saw and maul, mama, we gonna cut and split.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 19, 2007
MONDAY, AUGUST 13, 2007 I SAW IT I SAW IT It doesn't take any fancy equipment or knowledge to enjoy this spectacle.
All you need, is a lawn chair and an eagle eye"
"If the timing is right, it can be quite spectacular," said Tim Ellestad, with the Madison Astronomical Society. "You 'll see some sights that are so strange they 'll have pointy plasma tails. It be a great show."
MONDAY, AUGUST 6, 2007 YOU'VE HEARD OF TENNIS ELBOW
BUT TENNIS KNEE?KENKNEE ALL MO BETTAH NOW Kapn,
My neighbor george was helping a guy with his yard and ended up with his pockets full of tennis balls. The man told george he could have them for his dog. While he was walking home, a woman watering her front yard inquired about the lump in his pants. George replied, "tennis balls". The woman said, "oh, that must really hurt. I had tennis elbow once and it about killed me!"
-- Magpye
My wife is going back east to visit her family and one of the agendas on the calendar is tennis with her sister. So I've been whacking the ball to get her ready, first time in years, but the game was coming back, I was getting cocky, she fired a forehand to my right, I sprinted and lunged, missed the ball totally, feet going out from under me, I'm scooting fast as I can to keep from falling, stick the racket down to stop the tumble, too late, too late, slide full length on the rough asphalt surface, and lay there feeling the pain. The hands, the wrist, the shulder, the ribs, but worst of all, the knee.
I gave it the old college try but soon gave it up and we went home for solace and medication, quick recovery needed for we had to head out to the Bonfire Bash in Portland. I stuck my bare leg out over the open window of the convertible, hoping the fresh air would make a scab and I wouldn't ooze all over my pants. Sorta worked. Got me through the evening and night and next day trip to Cottage Grove for the Summer of Love 07 concert.
One of the joys of the Portland trip is riding the Canby Ferry for a buck and a quarter. We made it to the SOL concert as it was getting dark. Beautiful scene in a park, great crowd, the bands digging the whole thing, the spark was there, the music superb and a wonderful opportunity to visit with old friends from San Fran music and meet the newcomers to the bands.
Here we are with Tom Constanten, one of the Grateful Dead's keyboardists. I got to know him when they were making the Aoxomoxoa record. He still tours like mad and says Chicago is where he goes so often he's become a Cubs fan.
Here's Tom with Michael Cipolina, son of the dearly departed guitarist for Quicksilver Messenger Service. Michael helped put on the concert and was the M.C.
The star of the show, Cathy Richardson, who channels Janis Joplin so well you close your eyes you swear it was her singing. Big Brother and the Holding Company with original member Peter Albin backs her up. She brought it down with her version of Women Is Losers.
Paul Kantner one of the original Jerfferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship founders. Tonight it is the Starship with Diana Mangano doing Grace Slick. They ended the show and all the musicians joined them for the final number. Best concert of the summer.
Monday, July 2, 2007 WHAT'S A PICNIC
WITHOUT A PICNIC TABLE?Is the question asked by all picnic lovers across the country as the greatest picnic day of all approaches. In preparation, my friend, Terry, carpenter and house repair maven, has offered to help me build a picnic table.
Prior to the arrival of Terry, I cleared the deck for action by buying some used bleacher boards from Scott of Tsunami Book fame. In his other guise as used bleacher board king, Scott scours the state for high schools upgrading their gym bleachers from wood to metal. Scoyt buys the bleacher boards and resells them, beautiful clear grain doug fir planks, sixteen feet long, nine to eleven inches in width, one inch thick.
I downloaded some picnic table plans off the internet, Terry gave them a cursory glance, and set to work.
Yas, this angle of the dangle is indeed equal to the mass of the lass, less a couple degrees of portside tilt, tis indeed a go, so let's go out in the yard, see if we have a table, set up the camera shot so we advertise the Sebringer, justify the money Chripesler paid us for this shoot.
And a tipsy of the good stuff to a successful picnic table, and thanks to local brewery, Sudsballs To The Walls, for additional funding.
SUNDAY, JULY 8, 2007 TAYBERRY JAM
AKA REGGAE ON THE MOUNTAIN
I performed with Woodknot, the band,
warmed up in the woods behind the stage.
What is this foolishness
we call fooling around
instead of god-fearing
legitimate money-making
moral-lifting endeavors
of a productive kindlike wiping the condensation
from the windshield of memory
he swiped the rag
across his forehead
and had a revelation . . .
I smell a rat! Wait....
that was me...never mind
a mind that is clean . . .
We should give them a raise
and a leg up the ladder
for prosperity is on the rise
kissing the girl with
ice cream on her lips
where did Vincent's van go?
to the lost ear rodeo.
going backwards in time
to get to the future
the sauce is jellied eel
which makes the girls squeal
when she saw what she had done,
she ate them all but one
stamped her foot
and said fiddle dee dee
and, grabbing a flamingo,
she whopped a hedgehog
into the primroses
and screeched loudy,
I can't git enuff
of that wonnerful stuff.
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