Reading:
Labyrinths by Jorge Luis Borges
Listening:
The Smiths, This American Life, Churning Life, Hidden Brain
Viewing:
The Gentlemen, Slow Horses, Ted Lasso, Last Seen
Events:
Attic mold remediation, Stage 4 diet, iPhone purchases
Accomplished:
Hired contractors for attic & HVAC venting, arranged birthday party catering, cleared deck
Up next:
Clean the roof and gutters, attach last deck post, wedding travel prep
Bike miles in 2022: 0
Aches & pains: sciatica, right shoulder, left knee
Current reading: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
Recent listening: Talking Heads, Making Sense with Sam Harris, Very Bad Wizards
Recent viewing: Air Disasters, Call the Midwife, Seinfeld, Five Days at Memorial, The Patient
Recent playing: Wordle, Quordle, Duotrigirdle
Recent events: Columbia River Gorge adventure, annual birthday party, first public performance, Thomas visited, new glasses (goggles)
Visited family in Iowa, Graham & Kate got engaged, several family members got Covid
Recently accomplished: Finished replacing lower deck, fixed ice maker, cleaned shed roof, carpet cleaning
Imperative To Do: Fix the Spector, fall lawn care, clean the gutters, paint touch-ups
Bike miles in 2022: 0
Aches & pains: sciatica
Current reading: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
Recent listening: Hidden Brain, Planet Money, This American Life, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Making Sense with Sam Harris
Recent viewing: The Sandman, Stranger Things, Hustle, For All Mankind, Surface, Trying, Five Days at Memorial, Black Bird, Synecdoche New York
Recent playing: Wordle, Quordle, Duotrigirdle
Recent events: Visited family in Iowa, Graham & Kate got engaged, several family members got Covid
Recently accomplished: Deck demolition, credit card churning, new glasses, yard debris disposal, landfill trip, lumber purchase, bought “new” grill
Imperative To Do: Lower deck replacement, fix ice maker, clean shed roof, clean gutters, fix the Spector
Bike miles in 2022: 0
Aches & pains: right shoulder, sciatica
Current reading: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Recent listening: “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” by Queen., Hidden Brain, Planet Money, Unlimited Love by Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,
Recent viewing: Better Call Saul (season 5), Billions, Severance, Slow Horses, The After Party, The Power of the Dog, Cowboy Bebop (live action), Lost In Space
Recent playing: Wordle, Quordle
Recent events: Drew Eubanks signed by Portland, Thomas visited, snow in April including a fallen tree
Recently accomplished: Bass lessons, spring yard work, Portland Heritage trees, plumbing estimates, finished bathroom repairs
Imperative To Do: Go on a bike ride, fix Graham’s bass, store CDs, pay taxes, coastal getaway
The Crickets, led by Buddy Holly, had their first hit with “That’ll Be The Day” in 1957. Many more hits would follow for Buddy Holly and the Crickets until his tragic death on February 3, 1959. He had just left a gig at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, when his plane crashed in the middle of a frozen cornfield. All three passengers – Holly, Richie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson – and the pilot were killed instantly.
Last summer I visited the site of the crash which is only 45 minutes from where I grew up. There are no signs on the gravel roads leading to the cornfield and there is no dedicated parking. Once you get near, though, the presence of other visitors is soon evident.
The site lies at the end of a half mile walk along a dirt road with weeds and grass growing in the center. There is a small entrance at the start of the road that is festooned with horn rimmed glasses, flowers and other mementos.
As I walked past the entrance and down the half mile path to the crash site, I couldn’t help but notice something remarkable – crickets! Every person I encountered on the path I asked, “Can you believe it? Crickets!” The younger ones looked puzzled but the people my age nodded politely and kept walking back towards their car. Eventually, I stopped telling people about the crickets.
As I walked out of the cornfield and approached the entrance, a man about my age walked towards me in the opposite direction. I said to him, “I can’t believe the crickets!” He looked at me puzzled at first and then realized what I meant. He pointed at his ears and said, “I can’t hear high frequencies any more.”
As he walked by me, I stopped for a moment, pulled the hearing aids out of my ears and I could no longer hear the crickets. I put them back in and the crickets were audible again.
On that day, I was extra grateful for my hearing aids because they helped me hear the crickets singing for Buddy Holly.
Bike miles in 2022: 0
Aches & pains: right shoulder, sciatic, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo
Current reading: Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Recent listening: Very Bad Wizards, John Parr, Planet Money
Recent viewing: The Witcher, Shameless, NFL Playoffs
Recent playing: Galaga Wars+
Recent events: Xmas in New Mexico, ate a smash burger
Recently accomplished: Installed knife bar, installed bidet, ice maker deep clean, leaf removal, invented Mac ‘n’ cheese-burger, bass lessons
Imperative To Do: Go on a bike ride, schedule roof estimates, file taxes, plumbing estimates, replace toilet seat, Eply maneuver
Bike miles in 2021: 0
Aches & pains: Neck (occasional but severe), back spasms
Current reading: Thing Explainer by Randall Munroe, Invest Like a Pro
Recent listening: YNAB podcast, This American Life, Very Bad Wizards, Sound Opinions, Radiolab
Recent viewing: Mr. Corman, Ted Lasso, Muhammad Ali (Ken Burns), The Morning Show, Catch and Kill
Recent playing: n/a
Recent events: first rain since June
Recently accomplished: Finished refurbishing the picnic table, bass lessons/practice, grass planting, ongoing drainage work, gutter cleaning, tree trimming
Imperative To Do: Contact kitchen contractor for warranty items, revisit roof replacement, finish drainage projects, replace the shed roof
Bike miles in 2021: 0
Aches & pains: Neck (occasional but severe), crack in right heel
Current reading: Thing Explainer by Randall Munroe
Recent listening: YNAB podcast, This American Life, Very Bad Wizards, Dissect (Lemonade)
Recent viewing: Call the Midwife, 63 Up, Mr. Corman, Ted Lasso, Schmigadoon!
Recent playing: Mini Metro+
Recent events: Tina got a promotion and spent a week in Chicago training, new glasses, cancelled Netflix, office happy hour
Recently accomplished: Replaced the bench legs on our old picnic table, bass lessons/practice,
Imperative To Do: Contact kitchen contractor for warranty items, repaint picnic table, revisit roof replacement, fall lawn maintenance
Bike miles in 2021: 0
Aches & pains: sciatica, lower back, left wrist and shoulder, ankles/feet
Current reading: Thing Explainer by Randall Munroe
Recent listening: The House Song by Beta Band, Come Together by The Beatles, Money by Pink Floyd, WTF Podcast (Jackson Browne), Very Bad Wizards, Making Sense with Sam Harris, Radiolab, This American Life
Recent viewing: Mythic Quest, Mosquito Coast, Hacks, Childrens Hospital, Real Time with Bill Maher, Jazz vs. Clippers, Bucks vs. Nets, Suns vs. Nuggets, Trying, Dirty John, Lucifer
Recent playing: Mini Motorways
Recent events: Rain, real-life happy hour, WWDC, dinner at a restaurant
Recently accomplished: added edging and river rock to the south side of the house, sharpened mower blades, cleaned grill, tree trimming, learned 4 different scales on bass
Imperative To Do: ride bike, store CD boxes, contact kitchen contractor for warranty items, clean gutters, visit J&J, fix gutter leaks
Bike miles in 2021: 0
Aches & pains: sciatica (left thigh tingling, waking from sleep on my back, morning stiffness)
Current reading: Thing Explainer by Randall Munroe
Recent listening: The House Song by Beta Band, Come Together by The Beatles, Accidental Tech Podcast, Hidden Brain, WTF Podcast (Kristen Hersh), Very Bad Wizards, Making Sense with Sam Harris
Recent viewing: Mythic Quest, The Mosquito Coast, Hacks, Childrens Hospital, Lakers vs. Suns playoffs, Miranda, 1971: The Year That Music Changed
Recent playing: Mini Motorways
Recent events: Started bass lessons with Graham, annual physical (all good), bought an RB60 spreader
Recently accomplished: opened Roth IRA, planted sunflowers, cleaned the floors, poa trivialis removal, compost harvest, switched mobile carriers
Imperative To Do: ride bike, store CD boxes, contact kitchen contractor for warranty items, clean gutters, visit J&J