12/15

Up 9. Revision 10-1. Realized that a couple of grafs could go; some material on the connotations of a chord “progression” might go back into the intro. Probably one more day on this small section. Watched a couple more jazz piano video lessons — this is the course’s “blues week.” The approach is straightforward, but it’s nice to see it all put very clearly. (One nicety they insist on is that, when 12-bar changes go to the IV and V, you don’t also switch to the corresponding blues scale. I know of exceptions - “Tipinia,” and anywhere the IV of IV appears in the 2nd phrase (bar 6 usually, as in “Blue Monk.”) But maybe that isn’t always retained in solos. Played a little in C — what I should probably do this week is get “the” blues scale under my fingers in less path-of-least resistance keys.

Tried to do a few practical things, but wi-fi was hanging up badly (which it wasn’t when I was just wasting time). Realized that, despite cancelling my CT scan, I still had a store pick-up scheduled. So I masked up and did that, 4-4:30. Attended M. Matos’s Zoom talk on his ‘80s book. We couldn’t be more different writers, but he knows his stuff and does his work. Inspirational quotes: “You write a book to learn”; “The book is inside the draft.”

Evan had to cancel our call. Read last 10 p. of Logical Syntax of Language assignment. Played a bit more piano, blues in Db (ok, not really natural), tried Davis’s “Solar,” “Skylark.” Need to get 2 radio shows to KSPC by Sat., so spent an hr. on that. Found that I had to download a new version of Audacity for this OS, so it was good that I did this now. Took a break to go outside. Put enough music in my playlist to make 1hr 40min (the rest will be back announcing and pre-recorded PSAs/IDs), couple of related tasks. Printed a log. Crossword. Piles a lot crap on my desk into inbox to process tomorrow. Lights out 11 pm.

12/14

Restless night, up around 5, podcasts. Not up for real until 10; worked from noon-2, revised first 3 grafs of next section (which is again too long, would like to get down from 2600 to 2000). In kind of a rush to do some practical thiings. Checked in w/ KSPC (as I still need some access to shared folders).

Therapy 3-4. Made one call about my CT appointment, but then had to get some things together so I could stay in the office while the contractor worked on the celling. (Expected at 4:30, came later, done by 6 - I think that loop is closed for now.) More calls - found out insurance auth. hadn’t come through, so had to call doctor, got cut off twice before I got some information; it’s pending, so I cancelled the appointment. While one hold at various points, ordered a planner I always get Bree for Christmas, and two hard-to-find but inexpensive Mexican notebooks I like for myself. 

There were a couple of bouts of piano during the day, probably added up to a half our. Chromatic scales, no metronome, played “All the Things You Are” in Ab and Bb. I think I might have played some blues in E earlier. Read 10+ p. of Logical Syntax of Language. Didn’t get to Blesh, and may temporarily misplaced the Ashbery. Still some responses to that Facebook post. We spoke to Ron for a bit in the evening (Bree often does, I say hello when I can). Walked outside around 10:30. Crossword. Lights out 12. Still listening to Zen podcasts/dharma talk, some better than others.

12/13

Up 8:30. Worked 10-1, maybe a little longer; revising next section, a little slower than I’d like, will give it one more day.

Made more coffee, called Dad 2:15-3:15. Wasted another hour, figured out something to send my dad for Christmas (a pannetore); fortunately, Bree has some cards on hand. Read in the Blesh, on Jack Teagarden (another one of those guys a certain kind of jazz fan used to talk about all the time, like Jimmy Rushing.) Placed order from Stand Alone Cheese to pick up Tue. when I’m out for the CT scan. Remembered to text a cousin who Dad told me is the hospital w/ a herniated disc. All this is minor, but it’s stuff on my mind. 

Read 50 p. Blesh, without great concentration - took me hours, w/ breaks, esp. a boring chapter about what gigs Jack Teagarden had in 1928. Also involved w/ a Facebook post about class that got a surprising number of responses, and exactly one, from someone from my h.s. I don’t remember friending, that said “white people talking about not fitting in. SMH” (which two people liked). I think he’s Indian or Pakistani.

Little else to report: short walk around 10, finished revising “Four Families” section, but the next one in a working file, did the Mon. crossword in under 10 min. lights out after 12.

12/12

Up 7-ish. Not as tired as I might have been, happily. Spelling Bee, breakfast, coffee, felt ready to get to work by 8. I think this light editing puts me in a flow state. Also had some music on - a blues-piano trio album by John Wright, and Ben Webster Soulville, both really good. Finished (for this draft) both the repetition, four families, and connotation sections (went through EK’s edits, took some, rejected others, which is also a good sign that I’ve been paying attention. Worked on the next section, formerly “Four Families,” now just “types of bridge” until almost 2. Had lunch, wasted an hr. or so, made more coffee, read 25 p. Combo U.S.A. (Blesh); ch. on Sidney Bechet.

Played a bit of piano, just a syncopation exercise, and played along w/ Mac’s song 3 or 4 song on the digital piano (which is in tune), though I can’t record yet. It’s in D, not too tricky, but I don’t really have A Part yet. Will probably make a chord chart. Started dinner about 5:30. Actual cooking: Bree had ordered 4 lbs zucchini but it seems like we got more, so we made the four largesstuffed w/ ground lamb etc., turned out well. Just chopped and steamed the rest for other uses. Read to p. 200, Logical Syntax of Language. Supposed to make 221 by Thurs. 

Took out trash. Put the Superchunk track into Logic, just to see if I knew how to import files. Interface pretty intuitive, but I’m not sure how to line up tracks yet. Made another trip outside b/c recycling had piles up. Sunday crossword, about 30 min. Lights out 12:30.

12/11

Up about 9. Very slow after breakfast/coffee (but I don’t have any calls today). Spent an hr on email, which just doesn’t get you through enough. Wrote back to Mac about playing piano on a Superchunk song, which is a good motivator for getting my recording set-up going. Watched first 30 min. of The Great Victor Herbert (Andrew L. Stone 1939) w/ Bree. Read and made notes on Evan’s book proposal maybe 2-4? Piano: chromatic scales, chord and syncopation etudes w/o metronome b/c my phone was charging. Messed around after that, not on tunes, just rhythms and chords. Watched another 30 min. of the Herbert movie w/ Bree. Spent a while assembling playlist for KSPC show - have a little more than an hr., probably need about 20 more min. of music. Did some bandcamp downloads I hadn’t gotten around to. Hadn’t got around to writing today, so promised myself I’d edit for an hr. Couldn’t find the edited draft of the “Repetition” section I’d been working on for a couple days and felt nearly done with; pasted something else entirely into the chapter draft. So I started redoing it, an stayed up past 1 (w/ a break to go outside). Crossword, even though I was tired - about 30 min., think I only looked up some coach’s name. Lights out around 2.