The Medusa Fora

So fecking dry here in SoCal for the last two months, my face is starting to shrivel like Medusa's.

In August I went down to Springfield to play my mandolin at the Illinois State Fair. Travel time alone was well over 8 hours roundtrip. My dad, who decided that "Dirty Old Town" is the perfect song for the state capital, and I were down there for two days. All in all, hundreds of dollars were spent in the form of fuel, food and lodging. So when I get a check from the state today, how much is it worth? SIX DOLLARS. Because it was 4-H related I wasn't expecting much, maybe something in the lower double digits to at least cover a meal or whatever, but really?

Smokey wrote:... Because it was 4-H related I wasn't expecting much, maybe something in the lower double digits to at least cover a meal or whatever, but really?

Those cotton-pickin' carpet-baggin' tightwads. SIX BUCKS for Dirty Old Town?!? Pah! Six smackers for you time and mando skills! Heresy!

Glad you both had a good day though. I'd love to see a US State Fair one day. I've seen/heard some great stories in the past.

CraigBatty wrote:

Smokey wrote:... Because it was 4-H related I wasn't expecting much, maybe something in the lower double digits to at least cover a meal or whatever, but really?

Those cotton-pickin' carpet-baggin' tightwads. SIX BUCKS for Dirty Old Town?!? Pah! Six smackers for you time and mando skills! Heresy!

Glad you both had a good day though. I'd love to see a US State Fair one day. I've seen/heard some great stories in the past.

I didn't play Dirty Old Town, but a set of reels, which makes it even more unclear to me as to why they picked a mediocre mandolin instrumental as part of an act. Dirty Old Town came on shuffle on our way down which lead my dad to make his remark.

As for US state fairs, I've only been to Illinois' twice, and I was sleep deprived and on a schedule both times, which made me pretty pissy, but I can tell you that fried Snickers bars are totally underrated, as is alligator on a stick.

We went out for dinner at a bar the night before and my dad put some Pogues on the jukebox along with Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly. One of the waitresses: "How much longer do I have to listen to this goddamn Irish music?"

Smokey wrote:I didn't play Dirty Old Town

My mistake.

Smokey wrote:... but a set of reels, which makes it even more unclear to me as to why they picked a mediocre mandolin instrumental as part of an act. Dirty Old Town came on shuffle on our way down which lead my dad to make his remark.

Stop it now. No hiding of lights behind bushels around here, thank you. The smoke and mirrors are already befuddling enough for us eldsters.

Smokey wrote:As for US state fairs, I've only been to Illinois' twice, and I was sleep deprived and on a schedule both times, which made me pretty pissy, but I can tell you that fried Snickers bars are totally underrated, as is alligator on a stick.

Yummmmmm. Gators and Taters! *drrrrrroooooooolllll*

Smokey wrote:We went out for dinner at a bar the night before and my dad put some Pogues on the jukebox along with Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly. One of the waitresses: "How much longer do I have to listen to this goddamn Irish music?"

HERETIC! WITCH! BURN HER!

Did she have a large beard?
Maybe she's a terrorista....







Or a ZZ Top groupie with a grudge. Either way.....


HERETIC! WITCH! BURN HER!

Smokey wrote: One of the waitresses: "How much longer do I have to listen to this goddamn Irish music?"

Until you GET IT...

Clash Cadillac wrote:

Smokey wrote: One of the waitresses: "How much longer do I have to listen to this goddamn Irish music?"

Until you GET IT...

No doubt had it been Polka night she would have been ecstatic

Where has everyone gone lately? So quiet...
I'll just have to bring my own (ickle) friends in here to play.

mekongwhiskey wrote:So fecking dry here in SoCal for the last two months, my face is starting to shrivel like Medusa's.

SE Iowa has had rain and rain and rain for weeks and weeks and weeks.

My part-time corn and soybean farming husband is increasingly dismayed at the prospect of waiting for deeply frozen ground to support farm equipment in order to get the crops out....if there are even any left by then.

Esther wrote:

mekongwhiskey wrote:So fecking dry here in SoCal for the last two months, my face is starting to shrivel like Medusa's.

SE Iowa has had rain and rain and rain for weeks and weeks and weeks. My part-time corn and soybean farming husband is increasingly dismayed at the prospect of waiting for deeply frozen ground to support farm equipment in order to get the crops out....if there are even any left by then.

Weeks of rain for us here too. Workington's copping it pretty bad though with six bridges collapsing from the force of the flooded river and isolating the town. Sad about the farm, Esther.

Irishbookish wrote:Workington's copping it pretty bad though with six bridges collapsing from the force of the flooded river and isolating the town.

It's pretty grim up in Cumbria, and some people will be out of their homes and businesses for a long time, I think. Not to mention the problems of living in a town divided by a river when all the bridges are out. We have friends up there, but fortunately they are ok.

Meanwhile, on a far less significant level, I have just entirely failed to put eye drops in the correct place. One went in an ear, the other in my mouth. "Not to be taken orally", they say. I am rubbish at this. Why do they make the things so damn hard to operate? I think I'll stick with that alluring pink-eyed look.

Passing thru Nashville Tuesday night, so we stopped at Dan McGuinness Irish Pub. There's some Gawd-awful teenie bopper crap playing in the background. Our waitress comes by and I ask her to play some Pogues. She looks at me like a monkey doing a math problem. It was the first time in my life I asked for another waitress. This time, within 15 seconds IISFFGWG was blasting throughout the establishment. Then and only then could I enjoy my fish dinner and pint of Harp. (Before I get jumped on, I LOVE Guinness, just not with dinner.)

I was hesitating to reply this topic for some weeks now. I was thinking my small problems are not worth moaning about and they're still not. But at this moment I can't hold my self back anymore. What a crappy year this is! After 12 years the love of my life sudenly left me, I had to go and live with my mom again. Right after that I got in an accident with my vintage Vespa scooter. I totalled it with out my fault. Then I fell of my bike and broke my thumb, it took 14 weeks of recovery which meant no guitar playing and no driving so I had to use public transport to work. Everyday for 3 hours, single journey.. Finaly the cast (?) came off and I could drive again. So last weekend I could roadie again for the band I support. But then.. Sunday morning I awoke and my back kinda hurt. It got worse and when I tried to make me lunch I collapsed in the kitchen and laid there for 45 minutes. When I tried to crawl back to bed it happened again on the stairs. I'm on diazepam now and lying in bed since sunday. And now I'm letting myself go, I might aswell add that it was my birthday Monday and the only thing that cheered me up was my sister bringing me a new dosis of medicin..
Did not type this to get any sympathy but just to get it of my chest. What I need to say though is that I love you people that post so many posts so that F5ing brings new posts to read everytime..

fluke wrote:I was hesitating to reply this topic for some weeks now. I was thinking my small problems are not worth moaning about and they're still not. But at this moment I can't hold my self back anymore. What a crappy year this is! After 12 years the love of my life sudenly left me, I had to go and live with my mom again. Right after that I got in an accident with my vintage Vespa scooter. I totalled it with out my fault. Then I fell of my bike and broke my thumb, it took 14 weeks of recovery which meant no guitar playing and no driving so I had to use public transport to work. Everyday for 3 hours, single journey.. Finaly the cast (?) came off and I could drive again. So last weekend I could roadie again for the band I support. But then.. Sunday morning I awoke and my back kinda hurt. It got worse and when I tried to make me lunch I collapsed in the kitchen and laid there for 45 minutes. When I tried to crawl back to bed it happened again on the stairs. I'm on diazepam now and lying in bed since sunday. And now I'm letting myself go, I might aswell add that it was my birthday Monday and the only thing that cheered me up was my sister bringing me a new dosis of medicin..
Did not type this to get any sympathy but just to get it of my chest. What I need to say though is that I love you people that post so many posts so that F5ing brings new posts to read everytime..

Holy crap, man. That sux big time. You're seriously due some happy, healthy times ahead. Hang in there bro.

'09 has been a tough year for many of us fluke. Let's hope that '10 brings us some better days.

Hang in there.