The title of this evening's post was thought up with Yogi in mind. I know that a long time ago when I was explaining Arizona's monsoon season I said "It doesn't rain a lot here, but when it rains, it rains a lot"......and I thought that's how Yogi Berra would have put it!
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OK. The news that I am getting from Iowa has been very good. I mean, very good. Tony is said to be recovering at the rate that your average 50 year old would. He's got a ways to go, but I hear that he's now joking with the nurses.
I've sent word out to Lincoln (Nebraska) that I'm thinking of coming out there next year, with a side trip to Iowa. I'm leaning towards Memorial Day. I think my cousin Marie goes down to Robinson (Kansas) to lay wreaths on our grandparents' graves, as well as the graves of two of my uncles (of which one is Marie's father). If she's doing that next time around, I'd like to be there too.
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Today there was a press conference in Winnipeg where Randy Bachman and Fred Turner have made it official: they are re-uniting, and recording some new songs (I think three or four have already been recorded). They will either be touring as Bachman-Turner Union or Bachman-Turner United. Interestingly enough, they worked together in 1981 in a band called "Union", and the album that Union put out was, in my mind, one of the best ever recorded.
The new CD will be out sometime next year. I hope that those guys will record a few more that follow.
As some of you know, I have been a big fan of Bachman-Turner Overdrive for many years....as in 35 years now. I never thought back then that I would ever get to meet all of the members, but I have. They have all been very nice to me, and I can never forget the kindness that all of the members showed me on the several occasions that I have gotten to meet them.
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April Wine, my other favorite band, is also working on some new music. I have been a Wine fan for over 30 years now. Like BTO, they are from Canada, a most beautiful country that has given us a lot of great music to go along with the great beer that they brew.
My understanding is that the new April Wine CDs (three or four of them) will contain new material, live material, and re-worked versions of some old songs. Their last release was Roughly Speaking in 2007 and I highly recommend its purchase.......it was practically recorded right off the floor and there's a very strong blues influence in that one. Trust me, you'll like it.
And.....I've met some of the April Wine members too. They were all gentlemen. They took time to answer my questions and to sign autographs.
Next year could very well be a great year as far as new music goes.
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Weatherwise, we had our first winter storm last night. Snow came down to the 5000 foot elevation (my house is at 2720 feet) and on the desert floor we had some rain. The wind was cold and chilly, which made it seem a lot colder than it really was.
You might not believe this, but it will snow here in Tucson on occasion. I've seen it maybe three times. The first was Easter Sunday in 1999. The last was in January 2007.
Snow is obviously, a novelty here.
It doesn't snow a lot here, but when it snows, it doesn't snow a lot.
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I am not immune to the holiday stress. I was feeling it something fierce yesterday. I'm in a much better mood today. Did King Solomon say that there was a time to build and a time to tear down? I felt like I was tearing down things yesterday. Today I felt like I was building them back up.
Anyway, me thinks that I will be writing the Christmas letter tomorrow.
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I haven't yet figured out when I'll be starting my road trip to San Jose. I've been waffling on that one. A week ago I found myself wanting to leave on the 14th. Yesterday I thought no, I'll leave on the 19th.
I'm now thinking of starting the journey on Thursday, the 17th. And the 17th will be my birthday. I'll be 51 years old that day.
You know, I really don't feel like I'm in my fifties. I think I feel better today than I did ten years ago. I've got more gray hairs in my beard than I did back then, but I really think I feel better.
Either way......when that new music from BTU and April Wine comes out, I'll be young again.
:)
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I can't resist quoting this BTO song from 1975: "Don't let the blues get you down".
Here's the song if you want to listen to it: LINK
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