Having trouble keeping up, going to make these more succinct.
Up 2 am, read some Thorn and started Kevin Davies’ FPO (final public offering?)
Back to bed eventually, not up until 9.
3 p. In notebook.
Therapy.
Usual dithering.
Went out sometime after lunch, worked at (yet another) Starbucks; 30 min. on Laura’s lyric, 90 on Williams. Spinning wheels.
Couple groceries, home 5:30. More Thorn, should finish it tomorrow. Practices Bach and started trying to learn Schubert’s 3rd “musical moment.”
Dinner, Jeopardy!, watched the last 1/3 or so of Strangers on a Train w/ Dad.
Listened to an earlier demo of Laura’s song to remember the bridge (more or less what I recalled). Lights out 10-ish.
12.16.21
Up for a while 3-5, but got back to sleep. Up at 7.
Read the rest of Strang book - probably deserves to be re-read in light of the lucid explanation of the project at the end - and fooled around on the piano (mainly w/ “You Took Advantage of Me”), but managed to do very little else before 11; watched an episode of Criminal Intent and got drawn into a couple conversations w/ Dad and Margaret (the caregiver who’s hear several evenings and two mornings). Which I don’t mind, I’m here to interact, but then things came up w/ problems with one of the doors (swelled from the rain), and I couldn’t take a shower until she had swept outside (so my dad wd feel there was someone on watch), so I didn’t feel in control. Then there was a similar issue about changing the heating filters.
Read the first 50 p. of My Rock ’n’ Roll Friend, Tracy Thorn’s book on Lindy Morrison. Finally went out at 1, listened to the setting of James Weldon Johnson’s “God’s Trombones” on the Gary Bonner album, then a Curtis Mayfield covers/tribute album. Drove down to a spacious Starbuck’s in a new development south of Ontario. 3 p. notebbok, 30 min. on lyrics, about 2 hrs. on the Bert Williams stuff, which is not going anywhere.
Picked up dandelion greens and a grilled chicken dish for dinner b/c I knew I didn’t want my dad’s weekly KFC. Got back at 6, watched part of a nothing movie w/ Joan Crawford and James Stewart, Ice Follies of 1939 (yeah, me neither). Sat w/ dad during dinner, then had mine, helped Maude clean up a little, watched Jeopardy! and the end of The Rifleman. Went to bed not long after 9, read a little more Thorn but not much.
12.15.21
Up a little after 5. Caught up on a few things online, read 30 p. Catriona Strang, Reveries of a Solitary Biker.
Quick trip to the store.
Therapy 8 am. (Didn’t change absolute time from NYC.)
Wrote in notebook, needed nap; slept until noon. Read more Strang, finished 3 p. quota in notebook.
Lunch. Bree called. Played a little piano - Bach and Rodgers & Hart.
Went out about 3. Listened to an album of (over)-arranged spirituals by The Gary Bonner Singers (no idea who they are, I got it on my last trip).
Went to Upland Library book sale room, got a translation of the Tales of Hoffman and a beat-up illustrated edition of Aesop’s Fables from 1927 for Bree; also Bazin on Renoir, a book on Frances Marion, The Kink Kontroversy, and a 5-disc collection of Cuban music (solo recordings of some of the Buena Vista Social Club circle), all for $9.
Wrote for 2 hrs. at Lucky’s in downtown Upland; drafted a graf on the music to Williams’ “Nobody.”
Stopped by the Goodwill media store on the way home, spent another $9.50 on a holiday songbook, a book of poems by Clare Bateman (no idea, really, but when there’s a random small press book in with the junk for a buck, I’ll often take a change), and CDs of Kirk Franklin, Maximo Park, and Sousa cylinder recordings.
Played a little more piano. Dinner w/ dad (strictly speaking, I sat w/ him masked while he ate, and then had mine after he went to his chair). Watched Jeopardy! and a few minutes of Anastasia w/ Ingrid Bergman.
Had texts from people in my building that I was missing the annual meeting - I had it on my calendar, but just screwed up w/ the time change. Wrote to apologize.
Read the next ch. of Autonomy, on music — interesting on Veloso, I’m a little more dubious about the White Stripes.
12.14.21
Up 6. Breakfast, coffee.
Looked through drawer of tapes/CDs/DATs for unreleased NPB material for expanded Emotional Discipline reissue.
Finished Corked (didn’t do as much for me as C. Strang’s other books), wrote 3 p. in red notebook.
Put on a Jane Birkin LP, Baby Alone in Babylon and Patti Brown Plays Big Piano, as I did the last packing and assorted home tasks. Remembered to send someone a scan of a W-9, couple of emails. Miscellany.
Called car for LGA at 12:30. New terminal; unusually long walk to the gate, in old section that I heard someone say they were closing tomorrow, so the Hudson Newses had no real food, just a few drinks, chips, trail mix, and protein bars. Flight uneventful, had some ok bbq at the Dallas stopover.
Watched 1st 2 episodes of Schmigadoon! b/c I like Cecily Strong, and Fincher’s Gone Girl, which I’d always meant to see. Read chapter of Autonomy on novels (10:04, A Visit from the Goon Squad, Remainder).
Finally got myself to write down some lines for Laura’s song, but it’s so so. Just have to keep at it.
ONT 9 pm, waited for bags, at my dad’s by 10. Chatted w/ him and the caregiver, had a snack, tried to go to bed; a little hard, read a few p. of a book on Winicott. Not sure when I got to sleep.
12.13.21
Up 8:30. Late start. Quick breakfast, coffee. Therapy w/ Bree.
Put in laundry - drier and putting it away later, obviously.
Read 20 p. Catronia Strang, Corked. There’s a Schubert section, possibly transliterations.
Wrote 4 p. in notebook, poetry I guess.
Tweeted about playing piano on Superchunk album, nice response; Mac sent a soundcloud of the mixes.
Listened to most of an LP by a completely obscure L.A. art-rock band called Battery Farley, from 1987 - a little late, but “Artists” and “Dress for Obscurity” will fit on “New Wave Time Capsule.” Did some packing while it was one; looks like 1 need to check 1 bag b/c of the books and CDs in the other.
Managed to work on discussion of “Nobody” about 12:30-1:30.
Home tasks, made some lunch.
Therapy 3 pm.
Back to home stuff, packing — I misplaced my license and vaccine card somewhere between Friday and Sunday (they weren’t in my pocket Sunday), could still turn up, spent some time figuring out how to replace. Not a disaster - vaccine record and photo of license are on my phone, and I have my new passport for the airport, but it’s annoying, and I ordered a new license anyway.
Ripped some CDs, listened to the rest of Battery Farley - side 1 ends w/ a locked groove.
Played piano 30 min.
Finished a chapter of Autonomy. “[e]very instance of formlessness in art is only a presentation of the idea of formlessness and, therefore, is not literal formlessness. (Literal formlessness can appear as external accident or internal flaw, but in the former case, it is not part of the work, and in the latter, it is an impediment to meaning rather than an aspect of it.)” (73) I don’t know if I agree with this; cf. Attall, Robin James.)
Had some insights into “(White Man) in Hammersmith Palais” — specifically, the bridge after the first verse, which describes Strummer’s disappointment that the reggae bands he’s gone to see are too pop/choreographed — “It was Four Tops all night.”
Read more of Corked in bed, lights out midnight.