I Got Your "End Pin" Right Here!

Willis has a new project. Beyond my current endeavours of solving my unemployment, C-Span, Maury, employment websites, learning church and secular music, maintaining a daytime neighborhood watch (I'm on it if anyone breaks into her house), golf, etc. and I still find time for the arts. Yes, willis acquired a cello. Pronounced "chello" (not "sello", dammit...I figured it out the hard way...don't ask, he's a liar if you already heard about it).

I figured since I've already excelled beyond belief on bass, I can't get into much trouble with another 4 stringed instrument. This is the way willis thinks and years of therapy after parole have confirmed it, so here I am, and you could too!

The 1st pic is my bass next to the cello (that's me in the background with the fedora..kinda pale). The second shot are those from a cello instruction site that I found for you folks....willis doesn't need no stinkin' instructions after all its just a fuckin bass without frets, rotated 90 degrees, tuned completely different that you play with a bow........what could be easier?!

I'll let you know how well the sello floats, burns or plays.

willis, On Stage

I've always loved how my blog-friend Lisa (whom I've never met but totally adore) does personal pictures on her blog (I just like her blog, period). With that inspiration, I'll add some of my own pics here (taken by my "first wife"(and recent follower), and lovely daughter). I play bass guitar in three different groups. These shots are from one of these groups when we played at a local community 4th of July fest just before the fireworks this year. This group is a pops/jazz ensemble that gigs about once a month in local establishments (that don't have "drive thrus" or do massages), private parties and anywhere else that pays us (particularly if they have "drive thrus" or do massages)! We do some pretty diverse stuff from the likes of Van Morrison, Sinatra, Queen, Billy Holiday, Bacharach, etc...all the way from the 30's to recent (currently working on waltzes on accordion and polkas but ya gotta build first donchakno). The band includes Me, guitar, drums, trumpet, sax, percussionist, keyboards, and two vocalist. I love to play live which is why I'm involved in three groups...it is addicting. I'll likely never have pics of the other two as they are church venues....we'll see. I don't have (and didn't ask for) the permission of the other players in this gig and feel like I should before I post their pictures so all ya get is "willis". What, willis ain't enough for ya!? Who else do ya know that has his own tower?

Anyway, this post is not near as prolific as Lisa's in either prose or photos, but it's a start. How about that shirt, eh? Somewhere there's a house without a shower curtain!

The Big One?

willis has a birthday coming up this Tuesday, April 14th. Except to thank my Mom, I don't really celebrate my birthdays..... I just get pissed when others don't. Keep that in mind. while giving me a tower is better than tube socks it hardly measures up to the occasion. Other less significant events on that date would be Lincoln's assassination in 1865 and an ice berg recklessly ran into the HMS Titanic in the north Atlantic in 1912. The latter should settle the myth of global warming once and for all (these frozen murdering hordes have been out there for years). However, on exhaustive research of the date (I looked at wiki) I did find one item worthy of sharing this noble calendaric (I just made that word up....its my birthday donchakno) event:

"1894 – Thomas Edison demonstrates the kinetoscope, a device for peep-show viewing..."

In honor of Tom's demonstration in 1894 and it's future contribution to the modern world or porn we now enjoy, I'll donate a floor of the aforementioned willis tower to peep-shows. I know, I'm excited as well.

willis will be 59 on Tuesday. When one thinks about it, my 59th year is over and I'm starting on my 60th year on April 15th, otherwise I'd have been born one year old. So I'm starting my 60th year soon and it's cool! I have good health (regardless of self destructive habits), a wonderful family (again, regardless of self destructive habits) and about everything I could ever want......"regardless of..." you know the rest.

It isn't that as one gets older one needs less, I think that as I get older, I appreciate what I have more. Cheers!