There will be people who will try to convince you that it’s code for “Fuck Joe Biden,” but that’s not the case. The “Fuck Joe Biden” crowd are supposed to be strong First Amendment supporters who back up their words with the Second Amendment, and wouldn’t hide behind a a weasel-word phrase in such a scaredy-cat grade school fashion.
Today, November 5th, is my birthday. And today, November 5th, 2021, should be the start of an interesting weekend.
We’re making the 45-minute drive to this place…
…to attend this event…
…and I’m going to learn how to play this instrument…
…along with this lovely lady:
I have to admit that I’m terrible with string instruments. However, Anitra’s been taking up the ukulele for the past few months, and the big Tampa Bay uke conference falls on my birthday weekend.
But hey, birthdays are a great time to take personal stock and even stretch oneself. So, I ordered a ukulele (we’re now a two-uke household), we got VIP tickets to the Tampa Bay Ukulele Getaway and also snagged rooms at the convention resort, the Sirata. It’s on St. Pete Beach, and right next door to where we got married — a return to the scene of the crime!
I’ve done a couple of evening’s worth of noodling on the uke, and I can already fumble my way through:
…and a whole lot of I-IV-V songs. That should help, because there are a lot of play-along jam sessions happening this weekend. I’m going to have to tap into my Pacific Islander powers this weekend.
And yes, I’m also bringing the accordion.
I agree and disagree with this comic:
✅ Agree: I have a saying: “If you don’t write it down, it never happened!” There are so many distractions that it’s too easy to forget ideas, plans, and other things we were sure we’d remember unless we write them down (and just as important, review them later).
In an age where most of us have access to a pocket-size supercomputer, there’s no excuse not to write an idea down.
❌ Disagree: This comic is an ad for Evernote. Evernote has lost or mangled my notes enough times that I will never use it again. I use text files and Google Docs.
Because the Walmart at 15th and Hillsborough (a.k.a. Supercenter #5964) is a bike-able distance from home, has Coke Zero (a vice that makes you productive can’t possibly be a vice) at the best per-unit price, and reasonably well-stocked “ethnic” and “specialty” food sections, I’m there about once a week.
And since I go on bike, I see everything that happens in the parking lot. And at a Walmart — a Florida Walmart — that can be a lot.
But I was really surprised when I saw a pair of jeans, fairly neatly laid out — just as you might lay out your jeans on a dresser for the next day — on a trash can, and on top of them, a black cloth mask, also laid out as if on a dresser.
It was in the middle of asking myself “Now why would someone need to remove their pants and mouth covering in a Walmart parking lot?” that I figured out the answer.
“Well,” I thought, “now’s a good time to leave.”
And I did just that.
