I didn't say "submit" I said "let go of control" ... remember the story of the flying crayfish at the beginning of Illusions?

I read Illusions when it first came out, and have a first edition, a college roomie turned me onto it. Later I found that Bach lives not all that far from me, and I think I've seen him in Puff fly over this area a few times. He wiped out a few years ago up in Anacortes, darn near heard the angels sing, wrote Illusions II. I need to re-read it, but he's sorta pooped out on spectacular novels.... *Illusions* was a complete revelation to me personally. He seems nice, we swapped a couple of emails (I wrote him off his website) talked about the squadrons we had been in, but I'm a Navy ground pounder and he's an Air Force flier, so not much to say actually. (Air Force and Naval aviation really sneer at each other professionally, we are so different at doing the same job.) With undo effort I could probably find his home but stalking really isn't a good idea... too self centered now that I think of it.

I read The Great Gatsby like that, off a teacher's desk during my break. I need nice quiet times to read myself.... I always get the noisy bunch.

New Age is a way of life on the west coast, and I blame much of it for our politics. I blame widespread use of weed for New Age. Like I say, I'm a ground pounder. I like keeping my feet on the ground.

"Letting go of control" is not "submit".................. you just answered a few things for me. No no........... they are NOT the same thing. Concept and paradigm adjustment!!!!

I don't feel bad about missing 'em. I think there will be more from Justin, and we've pretty much seen all these songs live. Except I don't think I've seen "Who are you now" solo with Justin and a guitar, if the reviews are to be believed.

Yeah sometimes you get dealt bad hands in the great card game of life.... hang in there.

Tis' wise to heed such warnings.

I had a strange dream about being on the cruise, it was stormy, grey tossing waves. I think I was in the swimming pool on the deck, and it was keeping me from getting motion sick (I have trouble with that) But it was a good feeling, even with the storm.... I wasn't afraid, the water was so nice and relaxing to be in. I love swimming.

Dream oceans are so much nicer than the real thing, because the real thing is really far too salty. Ugh.

Yes "Who Are you Now?" is from what I can tell, the solo Justin does with just him and his guitar (I assume the James Olssen) but I haven't had any solid confirmation on this. Maybe we are all slipping into the land of make believe....

Ugh. Honey. Wild dream that.

I got the same feeling from the video of Sunday, like I say. Sounds like they were tired and going through the motions. Alas.

Absolutely I do not urge you to do the cruise if you are not into being on the ocean. Since the first cruise I've come to understand this, and it's ok to be nervous about oceans. Not everyone is like me, swims like a fish and such. Sigh.... I still need to figure out how I'll get to Florida!!!

You're not any bigger mess than other people. Many messed up people are hiding in the school systems.

I'm feeling messed up right now, but it's just stress and I think I need early to bed tonight. I have a super good book series going and I'm staying up late to read just one more bit of the soap opera. Things always look better in the morning.

This last trip I had a profound revelation. It's like John says "has there been a sign another way and I've passed it by?" that's me on the road late at night. The dark makes the drive stretch forever into the distance... I lose my inner clock. So it came to me, this trip.... "have faith... the turn is right up ahead" and sure enough, it was.

"Have faith"........... you might have something really good coming up on the road ahead.

My son and his bride (and all the kids in the car) had another scare with his back (long story) and were driving from Tacoma ER and their car quit on them. Click. They never look under the hood, they are complete nerds, plugged into computers all the time. Despite my best efforts to get my son a little greasy, he has resisted all engine lessons.

Anyway apparently a good oil change and tightening a loose battery cable fixed it.

Dollars to doughnuts the car croaks again in a week or so. I TOLD them to sell it, trade it in and get a new car. It was my dad's and is not reliable. The old scut is probably haunting it, knowing him.

Aw, bummer. I posted about the dreams I had last night, three in all, of Justin giving mini concerts. I woke up between each show. In the first two, Justin told everybody where he was going after the show, to some public place or other, and none of us had the guts to ask if we could tag along. It was so frustrating. The third dream, fans were interacting meaningfully. One had an electronic gizmo that evidently contributed to a better sound, I was trying to find a place that would cater good roast beef for dinner, and a good time was had by all. It was so much better than being in the real-world trap of deciding if you want to dare approach the stage with a hackneyed gift that likely would be rejected, or if you want to dare to express gratitude in a way that turns out to put the man who has everything in an uncomfortable situation.

The eclipse passes right overhead here. I'm sure my landlady won't mind if we make prior arrangements and I can't ever get back to the ranch. You're welcome to fly out, and if that doesn't work, you can sleep in my car if you're comfortable sleeping with your knees under your chin. Speaking of which, the keyboard is not what I was expecting, nor is it portable. I think it weighs more than me, and I don't know if I will be able to put it in the car -

Which brings us right back on topic. Last night, I dreamed something more true to life. I had to accompany some girls and the rehearsals went well, but on-stage I had a cantankerous piano that did not jibe at all well with my touch. Horror of horrors! Dreadful performance! I wanted to hide under a rock.

One would think camping outdoors would be big in the route.

Oh, no. The computer is acting like it did before. We could have another crash. Joy.

I remember my first eclipse. I was a wee child, and me mum took us kiddinks out on the patio. She poked a pinhole through one piece of cardboard and held another piece of cardboard below, onto which an image of a crescent sun projected. We were not allowed to look at the sun, and probably wouldn't have been able to see the moon for the brilliance anyway. I recollected the experience when, taking music lessons, I first learned of augmented and diminished chords. It had been awhile, but I recognized the dissonance as what I had heard in my mind at the spectacle of a crescent sun. It was some kind of Medieval/primal fear of suddenly seeing the universal order was not as fixed as I had thought. I don't rightly recall ever hearing/reading about people hearing chords in their heads, it wasn't choral. It was just there, so I don't think it was voices. What's wrong with me, Doc?