Thursday, January 30, 2014

#735: Update 61

Don't have much to report. Still without Internet, though that will change soon, thank Ghod. I can hardly see the laptop's screen through the glare from the sun in the Staples parking lot where I'm typing this. Sorry -- I know some of you Out There haven't seen the sun in WEEKS. Not trying to rub your faces in it. Seems like the rest of the country's getting our usual crappy winter weather....
I'm 35,000 words (about 60 pages) into writing another memoir, this time about my step-brother, who had a big impact on me back when I was 15 years old. While hanging around with him was the first time I ever got close to GIRLS(!), the first time I ever got stoned, the first time I ever committed petty theft, etc.
I'm to the point now where I just have a few leftovers to add to the main story, then will proofread it -- then will try to track down my step-brother back in Michigan, who I haven't seen since 1975 ... and see if he remembers who I am. Should be fun. When finished, this one will be shorter than my last two e-books, which might even be a good thing. One of my Faithful Readers Out There has been waiting to read The Rest of this story for more than 30 years. I hope it's worth the wait.
Am also 20,000+ words into my Strange Music Guide -- but somehow it's easier and more satisfying to remember what I was doing 40 years ago than it is to wrack my brain for my opinion on some weird music album I heard once or twice in 1979 and then traded off because I didn't like it.... But I promise the Guide will be done before this laptop gives up the ghost....
I'm also 15,000+ words into the Rock Group Novel I tried to write a decade ago -- I've got all my old material punched in here, and when the time comes I'll push it and see if it leads anywhere Good. Hopefully....
Am still playing Strange Music at work -- lots of Yes and ELP and King Crimson, The Nice and others. Grabbed a cheap used copy of Yes's YESYEARS CD box-set awhile back and am enjoying the previously-unreleased stuff. Their version of The Beatles' "I'm Down" is pretty funny ... though not as funny as the original .. and isn't it WHINY?
Am also enjoying other old Yes faves like "Every Little Thing" and "No Opportunity Necessary." Just one complaint so far: Why couldn't they fit the full 10-minute version of Paul Simon's "America" somewhere in the box? They didn't have the SPACE?
Haven't tried out "Gates of Delirium" or "Ritual" yet, but will get to them. Also have "Tarkus" back in the house on ELP's 2-disc best-of, so am building up my strength for that. It's all in the name of Research, don't ya know? The things I put myself through for you people....
More soonish....

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