Giovedì

 You won't find anything new around the blogs this morning, so I thought I'd better write something.

My plan, after I've finished this post, is to change my guitar strings. I have a practice with three other guys tonight in a band called Art Ghetto. I'll be the double bass player, but they also want me to play some violin and a bit of guitar. I've noticed that my guitar seems to have lost a bit of its tone lately and then I realised that it has been a few years since I have changed its strings. I thought about seeing if Rob had some used strings he could give me, but then I found a brand new set in my guitar case that has been sitting there for a few years. I'll put them on this morning.

Talking about Rob, he needs to get his violin bow rehaired. If he gets in touch with Alistair's Music, Alistair can give him the number of an NZSO player who is replacing bow hair as a sideline. He's evidently very good at it.

Well, that's my little effort for Giovedì. Time to get those strings changed.

Probabilmente Peter si lamenterà del fatto che il mio blog è troppo breve o poco interessante. Cazzi suoi, Peter.

Ciao tutti.

The Loan Arranger.

 Need a loan?

You could try this guy.

No.

This guy probably won't be able to help either.

He's often referred to in Thorndon
as The Lone Raccoon.

 

Though, probably best to search Thorndon for the real guy.

Here is all about The Loan Arranger...

He was never employed by banks or loan sharks.
He always offered low interest rates and precise speech devoid of slang and colloquialisms.
Whenever he was forced to use lawyers, he never took customers to court, but instead tried to make their repayments as easy as possible.
He was never put in a hopeless situation; e.g., he was never seen as a bit of a crook.
He rarely referred to himself as the Loan Arranger. If someone's suspicions were aroused, the Loan Arranger would present his credentials to confirm his identity. Usually someone would ask, "Who was that generous man?" as the Loan Arranger was going about his business. His decision to adopt the moniker of Loan Arranger was inspired by Brent; following the ambush at Westpac Bank, the Loan Arranger was able to win people over with his sincerity—in other words, he was the "loan" ranger. Brent noted this.
Though the Loan Arranger offered his aid to individuals or small groups facing powerful adversaries, the ultimate objective of his story always implied that their benefit was only a byproduct of the development of Thorndon.
The Loan Arranger enjoyed Cleanskin wine, and always kept a few bottles at home, he kept his wine glasses very clean.
Customers were never shown in enviable positions of wealth or power, and they were never successful or glamorous. They were just regular people. Some were even Catholics.

By the way, Italian is quite different from Filipino.

L'italiano è piuttosto diverso dal filippino.

Ciao tutti.

Good morning world.

 

I know, I know. I only have two fairly regular readers and to claim I'm writing to the world is a bit over the top.

I'll start again.

Good morning, two fairly regular readers and anyone else who has popped in for a look.

Well, I didn't expect to see Brother Benedict this morning. Good thing I'm wearing long pyjama pants!

My practice currently stands at 269 hours for 2026. I'll probably start with some double bass practice today. Today is number 257, so I'm currently 12 days ahead and will be adding more before the day is over.

I haven't read my bible today. That's really no big surprise. We have a bible, somewhere on our bookshelf, that came from Uncle Steve's place. It is somewhere up there. I don't remember when I last looked at it. Probably a few years ago. I prefer to read Jack Reacher. I'm sure that Robert feels the same.

It'll be sunny in Thorndon today, so Peter probably won't write a post. No big deal there. That could even be quite a good thing.

 I think I'll head off now and have a shave and a shower. Don't worry Peter, I'll leave my phone in the living room. Then I've got a little bit of schoolwork to do.

Non ho nulla da dire in italiano stamattina.

Ciao.

Robert did something he doesn't usually do on a Saturday morning...

 He rang Peter!

"Hi Rob, this is an early call. What are you up to?"

"Richard has just written a new post! I'm so excited! I haven't read it yet!"

Peter let out a grump.

"It'll be the normal stuff. You know, me in a silly hat. Then he'll take a shot at religion. Then we'll get to hear all about his practice."

* * *

Hi all. Lynn doesn't think that hats work for Peter. Is she wrong?

Maybe there's a mention about hats in the bible?

Brent 16:22   Jesus walked down the road towards the local church. Some people stared at him. What was he wearing?

Most of the locals didn't understand English, but the few who did didn't understand what was written on his hat. "Make America Great Again?" What the Hell was Jesus on about?

A man approached him and asked what it meant. 

"Well," said Jesus, "In years to come I am sending a special saviour to a country that doesn't exist yet. This man will become its president and will carry on my good work. It'll be like my second coming."

The man who had approached Jesus was confused.

Okay, let's move onto my practice. I did some violin and some double bass practice yesterday. On violin I worked on the four octave shapes for playing major, natural minor, dorian minor and dominant 7th. scales. Yes, that's right, there are just four scale shapes but, to get the chosen scale form, you just start in a different place.

I mainly concentrated on 'warmups' on the double bass. I have a gig coming up in November and the first practice for that gig in about a week's time. If you want to know how I'll get the double bass to the practice, read my last post.

I'll certainly make time for some guitar practice today.

Okay, that's it for this morning.

Don't forget to get your practice done and don't just play away while watching the clock. Make sure that long bows and intonation checks are included in your warmup.

Ciao tutti.

It's not every day that you get to chat with a nursery rhyme character.

 

Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater,
Had a wife and couldn't keep her;
He put her in a pumpkin shell,
And there he kept her very well.

Okay, I was left this comment on my last post.

"You should do a post on moving your double bass. That'd be more interesting."

Okay Peter, Peter pumpkin eater, just for you.

I have to take my double bass to a practice for a gig. It has been a while since I've put a double bass in my car. In fact, I have never put a double bass into my Missan Note.

Remember that I also have a seat for my 
three year old grandson in the back. That
seat takes up bass space.

Actually, I believe it would be easier to move a prefab classroom out of a school!

Looks easy!

I'm not kidding you! 

Firstly, I've got to put the bass into its bag AND put one of my bows in its container that also fits into the bag.

Secondly, I've got to go out to the car, unlock it and drop down the front passenger seat. 

Thirdly, I've got to carry the bass through doors and out of the house. Hey, don't trip on those steps!

Then I have random trees, and Shelley's car, to avoid.

Next comes putting it into the car. I open the front passenger door. Will it fit in front of Harrison's seat? I will put the bass in fat (bottom) end first. The scroll (the bit at the top of the bass) will finish up down where a front passenger's feet would go.

When the gig, that this practice is for, comes along, I'll have to put an amp and other equipment in the car too. Phew! 

Now, doesn't that make moving a prefab classroom in a quiet little street in Thorndon sound rather easy?

While I'm doing all this, Peter will just be sitting at home chewing on a piece of pumpkin and looking out for blog post ideas, in his little street, that might be slightly interesting. Sheesh!

Ciao tutti.

The rain went away.

 It seems that the little poem at the start of my last post helped.

It looks like I might have stopped this happening again?

I asked Angry Jesus what he thought.

"Yes, Richard (of RBB), it appears that you are right. I even heard dad say the 'F' word! Who knows how many lives you saved!"

Wow! I'm up there with God the Farter now!

Maybe it's time to start my own church (and religion) now!

I guess I'll need my own version of the bible too.

Let's see, I'll call it The Nui.

In the beginning there was just The Nui. Richard looked down from Willis Grove. There were no churches, so he built one and called it Bass Bag. He then looked to round up some apostles. He couldn't find any in The Nui, but then he remembered Peter in Thorndon and Robert in Moera. Peter was keen, but Robert wouldn't move away from the catholic thing (no capital needed now for 'catholic'), so Richard made him into the closest thing he could find to a devil. He made him a guitarist who used a capo to play the few chords he knew and sang out of tune. "Go be a folkie!" Richard told him. Peter was put in charge of standing at the bottom of the Nui hill (Nui side) and welcoming people in. The Nui was underway.

Richard created 5 commandments:

1) Adore and follow Richard.

2) Do not follow Robert or his silly religion.

3) Be kind, where appropriate.

4) Rugby is the only sport you should follow.

5) Learn to play a musical instrument like a singer sings.

Richard thought that he could always add a few more commandments later.

Rain, rain, go away...

...Come again another day.

All the children want to play, so

Rain, rain, go away.

Yes, it's a wet day in the Nui and it will also be wet in Thorndon. Maybe God is planning another big flood to get rid of those damn atheists. He won't mind about losing a few Christians along the way. He didn't care last time.

Yesterday's jam was a good practice session for playing by ear. I spent the best part of two hours playing over tunes, some I knew well and some I didn't. Good practice for playing like a singer. Gosh, there was some out of tune playing by some people, hey but that's life.

I'll get some more violin practice done this morning. Activities like playing at a jam do not count as recorded practice for me. Still, I have passed 260 hours of 'proper practice'. The new strings are sounding good. I wonder if Peter is practising his accordion? He seemed keen to take it to Cuba Mall when his foot is feeling a bit better. He has a friend there who plays the harmonica.

Well, that's it from me for this morning. Just a little post, but better than nothing. Nothing? That's what you get this morning from the two old guys.

Ciao tutti.