Wed Oct 01 2014

Autumn definitely in the air. Not exactly cold yet, and the sun is more or less out today, but there is a certain quality, and yesterday I caught my first whiff of a wood stove in action in the neighborhood. The cat’s favorite wintertime warm spot has also been called into active duty.

(see also: blog wallpaper)

My one really early morning lesson of the week had me up before dawn. I was already awake but in that doze-zone where I go in and out of a series of vaguely thematically related dreams, and I was frankly happy to get up and away from all that. Exhausting. A lesson focused on counting, which is actually a pretty great way to begin the day.

A large chunk of “personal time” between this morning and the bulk of my lesson schedule later in the day. Several pieces of business to take care of, unfortunately a little further flung than I can do on foot or bicycle. Hoping that the Howlin’ Wolf bio I have on hold at the library, which has been tagged as “in transit” since Monday, will actually get to the shelf this morning. I’m fresh out of reading material.

My call on Monday for recommendations of general practitioners got me 2 in Ballard, one a specific doctor and the other a clinic a friend has had good results with. I like the idea of having my go-to physician walking distance from home. Not sure quite how to proceed in choosing one. Part of me thinks that since I have a little time this afternoon I should just walk in to both and talk to them, an approach that would be way outside of my comfort zone. Probably more likely to call them and see if they are willing to set up a preliminary consultation or something like that. We’ll see. Maybe my feet will take over while I’m down in the neighborhood.

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“Snapping and bending strings with his fingers or making them sob and moan … he attacked the neck of his instrument like a hound dog shaking a stick. An astounding showman, he beat his guitar like a drum, played it between his legs or behind his head, rode it like a pony, and threw it up in the air and spun it, all while maintaining that driving beat…”

description of Charlie Patton (1891-1934)

from Moanin’ at Midnight. The Life and Times of Howlin’ Wolf

Picked up the Howlin’ Wolf bio. Only a couple of chapters in so far, covering background about life in Mississippi in the early 20th century and Burnette’s earliest years. Fair read. Too many sentences along the lines of, “But as in every Eden, there was a snake in the tree, a worm in the apple: the racial caste system that kept black people from getting ahead.” Gag. But I’ll live. It does quote the best description I know of country music, equally applicable to the blues:

"Three chords and the truth."