giovedì 6 ottobre 2022

Snow business like snow business.

 It snowed in Nuova Lazio overnight and hill road was closed because of ice.

This made me think of a pink three dimensional triangle.


Well, it made a break from imagining snow, which is what most people would do.

Then I thought about my bass.


The bass is an instrument that gives us a lot of cause for discussion.

Should I stand up to play or sit down? Should I use a German or French bow? There is really no correct answer to these questions. At present I choose to sit down and play, and my weapon of choice is the German bow. I began my bass playing life standing up and using a French bow. I played French for many years and only changed bows because my right hand first finger was showing some wear and tear. I've spent most of my playing life standing but have recently discovered a few little advantages I get when I sit. It gives a tiny bit of extra freedom to my hands. If sitting, while playing the bass, was banned by the government, I could easily live with that. However, I intend to do a lot of my playing sitting, unless that ban is enforced.

The snow is slowly melting but there's talk of more coming. Shelley and I are supposed to be taking a friend of hers out to lunch in Wellington. Obviously, that will involve driving (carefully) over the hill. Much earlier in the morning there were reports of cars sliding around but we should be okay if I take it very slowly.

The Curmudgeon is playing golf today.


The officials at the club insist that he wears a helmet these days because they've seen him climbing up and down banks to retrieve golf balls. My mother would have said, "He's a bloody old nuisance."

Well, that's it from me for this morning. Bass practice awaits.

Ciao tutti.

mercoledì 5 ottobre 2022

Do you remember the days when The Curmudgeon's posts were interesting, amusing and informative?

 Well, I certainly don't, but at least he wrote a few.

The Curmudgeon
in better days.

There are rumours going around that he might have retired from blogging. Some are saying that he is writing poetry instead these days. Robert's God help us all if that is true!

Robert's blog has become an outlet for sermons by a guy named Father Michael. Maybe poor old TC is finding it hard to compete with the standard (I didn't say 'high') that Robert is setting?

We, at Richard's Bass Bag*, have had countless mail thanking us for the very high standards that we set. Well, as you no doubt know, setting our standards takes hours of hard work and research.


This is probably a good time for me to thank our busy team. 

Thank you to all of those people who make Richard's Bass Bag** the great blog that it is!

Ciao tutti.



* the original bass bagging site

** the original bass bagging site

martedì 4 ottobre 2022

School Holidays and Timothy.

 School holidays mean that I am not waiting for a phone message to see if I can work.

"A C# A G# E" - it's an Android.

Peace.

* * *

Timothy was a convert (not to be confused with a convent) whose father was a pagan and whose mother was a Jew.


His friends called him Tim, but some others called him by the writing that appears on this picture. Someone who knows a lot about Tim is a priest in Lower Hutt named Father Michael. I think they might be distant relations; or maybe not.

Paul, another bloke in the bible, wanted Tim to 'take his share of suffering'. Paul was not a guy who always looked on the bright side of life. Paul wrote that Tim was a coward but maybe Paul was just pissed off because he got himself in the shit with his silly rants.

Father Michael asked his flock if they were prepared to suffer for the Gospel. A lot of his flock probably thought, "Not if I can avoid it."
This is where Tim was smarter than Paul - he didn't go looking for trouble, and good on him for showing some common sense.
Needless to say, Tim outlived Paul and he probably still got into Heaven. Smart guy.

* * *

Well, it's Tuesday and the sun is out in Nuova Lazio. I have a friend coming around this morning and we will no doubt play a bit of music together. We'll play tunes that he knows. It's easy playing tunes that you don't know on the violin because you can use harmonic approximation.
Harmonic approximation is where you use the notes from the scale that comes from the key of the tune and use a bit of guessing. Unless the tune suddenly changes key, it is rather hard to play a 'wrong note' and, if you do, it can be easily covered up. A bit of chromaticism can help out here too.

I suspect that Timothy could have been quite a good improviser on the violin. It's a pity that he was born into the wrong time and his talents were wasted. Paul would have probably played something like the banjo.


"For Pete's sake Tim, stick with
the tune!"
"But, Paul, Peter likes to open
up the gates!"




"Hang on guys, I'm busy right now."





domenica 2 ottobre 2022

The Curmudgeon is threatening to write some new posts today.

 


"The Old Girl said I needed a haircut. I was wearing three pairs of slippers at the time and my favourite cap. I told her I couldn't go out in my six slippers. I also said that I needed to write a post. She forbade me from using the office. ALL MY WWRITING CAME OUT IN CAPITALS. Sheesh! DO YOU THINK THAT, IN THE ABOVE PHOTO, IT LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE IS POINTING A SHOTGUN AT MY NECK? Phew, I've sneaked into the office.


Now I can write in lower case. I'm working on SLIPPERS - PART THREE.

It's all going to be about wearing three pairs at one time - that's six slippers althgether.

See, I can count - I wasn't in 3P for nothing.

That's it. Feel free to leave a comment or a bottle of Cabernet Cypress Hill 1962."

St. Therese buys a new pair of slippers.

 How important is the title on a blog?

Well, here are some I've read lately on blogs around here:

  • "Saturday 24/09/2022." This title gives nothing away, except maybe that the post intends to focus on events that took place on this particular Saturday.
  • "THE SLIPPERS POST - PART TWO." Okay, straight away we know it is going to be a continuation of the story of Peter wearing two pairs of slippers at once. We read through passively and don't set out sights for enjoyment too high. No point setting ourselves up for disappointment.
  • "NEW POST - THE CURMUDGEON'S AGONY AUNT." There'll be the same format and probably some shaky grammar. There's a high probability that Robert or Richard (of RBB) will be asking a question, but no one will really remember the reply. A case of 'same shit, different day'.
  • "Happy Feast day St. Therese. It's the little things that count." (Feast day? I think we missed a capital 'D' there.) There'll be quotes from some silly old priest and the story of some crazy little French girl who lived a long time ago. She'll die young after living a silly little life and then become a saint. We're supposed to take away a lesson on how to live our lives. As Peter would say, "Sheesh!".
Okay, to cheer things up, here's a man dressed as a nun and a man wearing a very big slipper.

A man dressed as a nun.


A very big slipper.

These pictures come from other blogs - blogs by Robert and Peter. They add these pictures in an attempt to spruce up their blogs. Dear reader, you be the judge.


sabato 1 ottobre 2022

Deep!

 Not this...


I'm talking about this comment by The Curmudgeon...


"Does old yellow have a friend - the stud finder.

Oh, never mind, it wouldn't be needed at your place."

Okay, let's ignore the schoolboy grammar, the question is, "What, in Robert's god's name, is he talking about?"

"I don't think dad knows either!"

Okay, the question must be asked.

Is TC getting a bit senile?

"Dum dee doo. Sheesh!"

I think he was trying to sound deep but only an idiot would look for deep meaning in that statement.

Look at that face above. Here it is from another angle.


Would you buy a used car from this (old) man?

I think not.


Today at Richard's Bass Bag* we salute a loyal old friend.

 


His official name is 8m POWER TAPE but, around here, we like to refer to him as Old Yellow.


Many are the jobs that Old Yellow has done:

  • Measuring the spouting on the back of the house.
  • Measuring up for hanging the dryer on a wall.
  • Helping to put up a new bathroom wall cabinet.
  • Building a thing for plants to grow over.
  • Measuring up what was originally a bike shed but now houses the lawnmower.
  • Many other things, but also just being a nice guy to have around.


Old Yellow flexing his muscles.

I know Peter is in a bit of a huff because readers have really befriended Old Yellow and haven't paid much attention to his windows or gardening series.
Hey, TC, your blogs about going to the tip or putting a new window in your house lack a human side.
I guess only someone like Old Yellow can supply that. Hey, he's like a member of our family.


We at Richard's Bass Bag** love you Old Yellow!








* the original bass bagging site

** the original bass bagging site