April Was A Month

Wow, was April a month. Never got on the bike because of wind, weather and work, but every other damn thing happened.

The month started with a great Cliff Hillis show and then rolled right into a celebration of Rex Manning Day. I went a little light on the open mics but had the opportunity to be an invited performer at a special event (which is the weirdest thing to say, but in the spirit of not diminishing my accomplishments, just going to accept that it’s true). This week I played the bass in public for the first time – while singing – and while the first song was a tiny bit rocky, it never came undone, and my attack on The Weakerthans’ “Watermark” went sensationally well and sounded, and felt, fantastic. And we have more bands to hear tonight – it’s been a busy month for music.

We also managed a getaway and the earliest paddling in several years, sneaking down to Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Maryland. The wind made everything a challenge but we found a good little place to put in on the Raccoon Creek and got to enjoy ourselves, and there were eagles everywhere. A beautiful weekend.

I finally started with a new therapist; my previous one had the nerve to retire last May, which was selfish on her part (kidding) when I have so much followup to tell her, but so it goes. Tried a few times to find a replacement and it never quite came together but realized that the drag of grief and all this was becoming too much and things needed to be done. So far, so good. In fact, had a super bizarre breakthrough revelatory thought this week about something that has been cursing me since, oh, say, 1977.

I’ve built frames and prepped for Lee’s upcoming County Studio Tour. I tore up the entire backyard and am now slowly getting it back together – more slowly than I wanted but there’s a lot going on and the weather and my work schedule haven’t cooperated. This week has proven insanely busy and disturbingly social – it’s good to get out and about and see friends and acquaintances, and I guess we need to take advantage of this lull in the pandemic, but that’s just what it is. We’re still masking and being as cautious as is possible when no one else is, and trying to participate in life while we can. There’s a local thrift/craft festival today, an art show for which we’re driving all the way to Manayunk, then three bands we know all playing across the street tonight, so it’s a full slate.

There was more in there, I’m sure of it. April was a month.

Addendum: Skipped the art show, ended up socializing with all of Phoenixville throughout Saturday (Lulufest in the day, Soundbank in the night), and then I started off May with my third open mic in a week (and my second bass attack).