Okay, let's get on with it.

I plan to replace my computer today. It is time for an update.

I posted this video yesterday.

Peter didn't like my haircut. I'm not crazy about it either, but the hair will grow back.

EVENTUALLY.

I lay awake thinking of my four octave violin scales last night. Major, dorian, natural minor, and dominant 7th. I don't think you'd quite fit a four octave scale on the violin, though you could probably do it for G scales - just. But that's not really the point of them. the point is that you are covering all possible fingerings. It really pays off when you have practised them and you come to play improvised solos. 

As I said, I'm replacing our computer today. We've had it for a very long time. You do need to replace them once in a while. Our time has come.

I see we're down to two bloggers in our little community now as one has totally left. Well, it's great that the best two are still here! Anyway, we still have The Wine Guy, The Curmudgeon's Agony Aunt, Bin Hire, The The The Guy, Phillip Edward Nis and Angry Jesus, and there are more! Life goes on.

Well, it's guitar practice time, so I'd better go.

Ciao tutti.

Good practice makes you play better.

 

Okay, speed is not everything, by any means BUT to play fast successfully requires a lot of practice.

A lot of things improve with SERIOUS practice.

Here's me doing a bit of guitar speed picking practice...

In 1977 I worked as a secondary teacher in Taumarunui. 

There was a famous folk song called Taumarunui on the Main Trunk Line.

In1977 I wrote a song called The Taumarunui Blues.

It started...

I woke up this morning

To the sound of a train, I said

I woke up this morning 

To the sound of a train.

My alarm clock was working

But I couldn't hear it for the rain.

-  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  

I've got the Taum Taum Taum

Taumarunui blues

I've got the Taum Taum Taum

Taumarunui blues

I'm stuck here in Taumarunui,

Thats why I'm singing the blues.

-  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -

Well, Taumarunui ain't a one horse town, I said

Taumarunui ain't a one horse town.

Them horses got more sense,

Ain't a single horse for fifty miles around.

-  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -

What's the point of me mentioning this after all these years?

Well, I'd done a recording of that last verse today, but the blog people won't let me post it.

Cazzo ancora!

I'm off to do more practice.

Ciao.

Cazzo.

 

I deleted my 'nothing' posts. Well, nothing lasts forever.

I was inspired to do so by an insensitive comment by a catholic after I mentioned the passing of a friend.

I was going to post a couple of videos of me practising fast runs on the guitar but the computer is not letting me download them.

Bugger it.

Cazzo.

St. Reginald's Day.

 October the 2nd. is here again. This is a feast day that is not observed by the Catholic church. I don't know why they avoid St. Reginald. Well, it's their loss.

A lot of so-called religious people can't find St. Reginald
in this picture.

Actually, he's the one with the blue and white striped shirt on his left shoulder.

St. Reggie, as his mates often called him, believed that all souls in Purgatory should be identified by wearing a blue and white striped shirt. Evidently the 'P' on his shirt stood for Punishment. St. Reggie was a bit like a judge and knew that someone had to take charge of working the people in Purgatory out.

How long should they be there?

How bad were their sins?

Is this where paedophile Catholic priests and brothers should spend time?

Should a paedophile be in Hell?

St. Reggie felt that there was hope yet for some of these Catholic priests and brothers.

Purgatory offers many people hope.

Make of this philosophy what you will but remember that St. Reggie did get canonized as a saint by the Roman Catholic church. There you go.

* * *

Wow, that was a pretty controversial topic for this morning's blog.

I think I might be better off to go and do some guitar and violin practice.

 

So long.

New Post.

 The last post was getting some strange comments, so I did a Robert.

What's a Robert?

That's when a post (or a blog) disappears.

"Yes, I do that. I like to dress 
as the pope too."

There doesn't seem to be anything new on the blogs this morning, so this post may help.

My practice for this year has nearly reached 300 hours. Nearly. I have been doing quite a bit of guitar practice. The guitar is my 'hobby' instrument. It is a fun instrument to sit and play. Hey, but I am working on some serious guitar stuff. Today I must get some serious violin practice done because I'm planning to go to a jam on Sunday and I want to be playing well.

I went to the doctor yesterday and he told me I look 64. That's about the third time I've been told that by a doctor. Ah well, that could mean a bit of time yet for instrument practice. I'll push on.

Well, that's it for me today.

Ciao tutti.

The picture I see when I think of Robert's and Peter's blogs.

 They are...

What really happened last Thursday.

 Peter rang me early last Thursday morning. He said that he was booked in that day for a RBB tour and that he had paid $5000 for the adventure. He said that he had a sore foot and would need help getting in and out of the car. He insisted that, for $5000, he wanted to be driven around in a Nissan Note. I said that I could bring our blue Toyota Vitz but he insisted on the Note. Inconvenient. Then he barked, "And make sure you leave plenty of room by the kerb. My foot is bloody sore and I don't want to bump it while crossing the gutter. Hey, and I'll choose the route I want to take." Then he added, "Bring your wife but charge her $2000. Then you can drop my fee to $3000."

I followed his instructions about parking the car.

Here's visual proof.

We set off on our adventure just after 11am. 

"Take me around the bays." he commanded.

We got to the 'round the bays' road and were soon confronted by major roadworks. We pushed on to Shelley Bay, only to find that the road heading to Seatoun was closed. We drove back towards the entrance to Miramar and drove up the hill towards old Mt. Crawford prison. More damn road works! This MUST HAVE been planned by our elderly passenger. We finally found somewhere to feed him. Admittedly, we didn't get any food for Robert, who moaned about that on a comment on one of my blog posts. Hey, I thought he was living off communion hosts. Well, he swallows enough of them!

The next day Peter flew up to Auckland. Shelley and I looked forward to a bit of respite from him, but no such luck. I got thousands of comments on my latest blog post about him travelling down country by train to get back to Thorndon. Nothing was said about the opera he had evidently gone up to Auckland to see. I don't even know what opera it was. Maybe he just went to an action movie, but wanted it to sound like he was cultured?

Well, there you have it. Make of his posts what you will, but this is the truth.

Ciao.