This was a four day weekend that was much needed. Unfortunately it’s already in the rearview, and we’re looking down the barrel of another 5-day work week.
Wednesday was my last day at work, yet it feels like I’d just clocked out. Ehh, that’s pretty much how this life goes, innit? You enjoy yourself and your loved ones in-between working for the man(or woman.) You spend 35 to 40 years working full-time, wanting to be retirement age and needle drop “Take This Job And Shove It” as you flip the bird and walk out the front door. Yet all that time you waste wanting to age to 65, you’re letting the little things pass you by. By the time you retire you’ll probably be hobbled enough that you can’t do all those things you wanted to do while you were working. You wasted plenty of good, solid life being mad that you have to work. I’m trying to change that point of view, but it is hard.
Last Wednesday after work we took my parents out to eat for my mom’s 76th birthday. We went to one of our favorite Mexican restaurants in Fort Wayne, Tequila’s, and shoved our faces full of fine food and even a tasty margarita. It was a great way to start my extended escape from my 9 to 5.
This meal has been on the books since last November. Instead of having a big get together on Thanksgiving, we decided we’d just go to Tequila’s for a nice, relaxing meal and do our own things on Thanksgiving. I wasn’t in the mood to cook and neither was my mom. Well, unfortunately my mom called me Wednesday and said she’d tested positive for Covid, so no meal. And then every time after we tried to get something planned someone else was sick or something fell thru. It felt good to finally be able to celebrate with my parents, both mom’s birthday and I guess also Thanksgiving, 2024.
Thursday was cleaning up the house and getting groceries. I had a back massage in the afternoon, then came home and watched a movie. It was pretty warm out, so being outside wasn’t the most comfortable.
Friday my wife and I headed to Fort Wayne to drop off that Japanese Strat copy and the Musicman amp I bought for some repair work at my go-to guitar repair guy Jason.
Jason runs an all analog recording studio in Fort Wayne called Off The Cuff Sound. Hed’d been at his last location for over 20 years, but he only rented the house. The owner decided to sell the house and land to a school next door, so Jason had to find a new spot. He did just that in a building that was formerly a car wash. He’s been renovating this place for over two years, and it’s now nearly where he wanted it to be.
Anyways, we made it to his studio around 12:30 PM. Jason met us at the door and we hauled the guitar and amp inside. Jason gave us a tour of the place, which is cool as hell. I’ve been obsessed with recording studios since I was a kid and went with my uncles to a studio where they were recording some original songs. The vibe in the studio with the control room and massive soundboard, isolation rooms, and the large live room is something to behold.
Jason looked over the gear I brought and was impressed with both. The guitar is just getting a setup, while the amp is getting a thorough look over. I know there’s some things that need fixed, I just hope it’s not too messed up. Don’t really want to drop a small fortune in something that was basically thrown in with the guitar.
The rest of the weekend was pretty low key after that. Saturday I worked on some songs. They’re coming together pretty well. One is ready to be mixed and mastered, while the other has a couple more things that need added to it. I’m liking the vibe and direction these are going in, which is kind of post-rock-ish. Still instrumentals, but drums, guitars, bass, keys, all coming together very organically.
I guess with my son and his girlfriend moving out in less than a month I’ve been thinking about what I want to do with one of the empty bedrooms. My wife has already called dibs on one so she can have her office/craft room upstairs. I want to create a space where I can write and play music. Have an amp in the room so I can noodle around without having to go downstairs. If we can get the old couch up the stairs from the basement the kids can take that with them. We’ll pretty much be able to clear out the old music/family room in the basement. What we can do with that I have no idea. Maybe move all the vinyl in there and set it up as a kind of listening room, with the drums in there for recording purposes.
Skies the limit.
I did some painting as well over the weekend. I was finishing up something I’d started two or three weeks ago. Did some coloring in and I think I’m done. Got an idea for a couple more paintings, so hopefully I can do some painting this week after work.
Just had a four day weekend and I’m already ready for the next vacation. I’m seriously burning out at work. Still another month left before my friend gets to come back to work from medical leave. They fired one of the ladies in our department three weeks ago for screwing up too many times, so the shipping/receiving area is currently down to just two workers and our supervisor. Taking vacation is tricky nowadays, but I don’t care. If I need to get out I’m getting out. I’ve been there for almost 26 years and I’ve got quite a bit of vacation yearly. Almost 6 1/2 weeks of paid vacation, so the time is there for me to use.
I don’t have anything scheduled until the end of the month. We’re going to a concert in Indianapolis on Sunday August 3rd, then another a week later on August 10th, and I plan on taking the Mondays off after both. And hopefully my work pal will return shortly after that. We do want to go to Brown County in the fall, maybe end of September or first of October, and just get away for like three days. I have a lot of fond memories of Brown County. Lots of family summer vacations spent there, so I’m hoping to grab some of those good vibes.
Okay, let’s get this Monday done and in the books.
Movies Watched Over The Weekend :
Beezel(C)
Trap(B-)
Humane(B+)
Sinners(A)
The Monkey(A-)
The Place Beyond The Pines(Rewatch, A)
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