This Yellow Taxi Cab In Which I Ride

This is the ninety-eighth posting and, as reported in the ninety-seventh posting, this posting is simply me posting the video -- Episode 1 of Inside the Open Mic .

This is the 97th blog posting that I've done here on this particular blog. At the 100th, which will no doubt occur in three weeks or less, I should do something special. Not sure what, or if, that will be. Thursday was open mic as usual. I played Falling Slowly by Glenn Hansard from the film Once , and... something else that has completely slipped my mind at the moment. Stephanie took a couple pictures. Here is a nice one with Ray Pashoukos who snuck up on me. Jennifer Holmes attended the open mic for the last time (hopefully not ever , though). She is leaving for New Hampshire next week and there is no open mic at Lena's. She also played a song from Once . I decided a few weeks ago that I would like to make mini-documentaries that profile open mic regulars and their songs. I decided to do this for a few reasons: one is that I have a camera and I'm dying to use it. I made my first one this past week and used Jennifer Holmes as my guinea pig. It worked! And came out quite w

I have decided that I am quite certain that the world is out to get me -- not in the looking-over-your-shoulder-every-five-seconds-jumping-ten-feet-in-the-air-at-loud-noises sense, however. Rather, I have slowly developed the conclusion after 30 + years of careful study and precise testing. And, as such, there is really no reason to be denying it any longer.

I love (sarcasm) all those common sayings that people use when things go wrong. (ie: when it rains, it pours . When life gives you lemons, you must suck ). Well, Stephanie just found out what she is going to be doing with her economic stimulus check. A tire. Weeks after buying her new car, she ran over a nail. And it can't be patched due to the damage that the nail caused and the potential for a blow out after patching it. So, she has to buy a new tire, which is just great (sarcasm again) because this car has expensive tires. And this comes just after I fixed my car up for 700+ dollars. And my at work fish (Jaws) is dying. So, it's pouring right now... and sucking.

I filled in as awkward-substitute-host at open mic last night. I had the most fun I have ever had hosting and I had some great feedback from some of the audience members regarding my hosting. The most heart-warming of which came when I asked the audience: "Is everyone having a good time?" and there was a nice round of applause followed by some comments. One comment stood out and it was, "great host." I took the following video while hosting (I explain why in the video, so I won't explain it again): During my set, I played Passenger and Walking; Standing Still . I really tried to play dynamically. I think I was successful. Stephanie took this picture: I took this one of Maurizio playing Dan's guitar: And this picture of Maurizio's peach: And this picture of Stephanie reading about how the gas cap in her new car is supposed to have a little connector line attached to it and the car. It does not: And here is a scan of the list: It was a wonderful nig

I just found out what I'm going to be doing with my economic stimulus check. Yesterday, when braking, my car made a crunchy, grumbly sound. I took it to the garage today and it needs new brakes, rotors, and wheel bearings. $714. I'd like to write about the situation in such a way that conveys my feelings in an even tone (as is what I typically write in), with statements about the ironic nature of working and spending, working and spending, and dang it, it's just so darn tough to get ahead these days ! In fact, before finding out about the car, I had written a positive, slightly empowering email to a friend who is a substitute teacher and who does not have a permanent job lined up for summer or next fall. She also can't get health insurance, because substitute teachers are paid per diem and do not get health insurance, and because she made too much money in the last three-month period due to a maternity leave position that she had and paid more than regular substituting.

James Frederick + James Frederick's Life = Together Again, sort of. As previously stated in last week's quick post, I have been insanely busy. And then, I became slightly sick and unrested due to the insane busy-ness. Well, I woke up this morning at about 9:30, laid in bed for ten minutes or so, got up, poured some juice, drank all of the juice while reading Neil Gaiman's blog , and smiled to myself because my life seems to have returned to me for the time being, and that is good. All the insane busy-ness started about three weeks ago when Stephanie and I became serious about buying her new car. In the few weeks previous to that (as illustrated on this blog) I had done tons of research in order to prepare for the buying because I know that car dealerships tend to be lying cheating mo-fo's who are out for your money and nothing else. Well, I found a dealership that gave me a quote over the Internet for a good price. We went in. They checked out the trade-in, which rattl