Monday’s adventure was a quest for a working microphone. Starting Sunday night, I got error messages when I plugged mine into the computer. It said that the USB was drawing more power than was available. I tried every USB port on the computer and the same thing happened. I crowdsourced a solution and found two competing hypotheses, that the problem was the mic, or the computer, possibly the computer settings. I thought the mic was the most likely as the computer is otherwise working fine and I plugged something else into the USB port and that worked. I needed something fast so I asked on Facebook if anyone had a USB mic, they could lend me. Half my friends are musicians, and as I didn’t need a great one, I figured somebody would have an old one or a backup. I was right! Of course, it was Katherine in Brooklyn aka the other end of the world. Fine, the other end of New York City, OK, OK, well over an hour away. No matter, the show must go on, so I hopped on the train to Brooklyn. As it was a holiday, they were doing construction so I couldn’t even go to the closest train. I had to take the 4 to the Q. I just checked, it wasn’t that bad, the trip took an hour and 22 minutes. When I said it wasn’t too bad, I hadn’t added on the walking time. Yeah, that’s a long trip but well worth it. My replacement mic is for podcasting, pretty much what I need, and is better than my old one. Just as important I got to hang out with Katherine. She was the first friend I had spoken to since we all went out Wednesday night. That is not good for my mental health. We didn’t do much. Walked around the neighborhood and drank overpriced coffee and underpriced beer. The talking was the important part. I am prone to letting myself isolate and have to actively work against it.
When I got home, I made a fabulous July 4th dinner, bratwurst and gnocchi. If that doesn’t sound fabulous to you that’s OK. What matters is that it was fabulous to me. I did a simple thing that oddly I haven’t done in a while. I had the bratwurst on hot dog buns. I’ve been using them to make bangers and mash. I love bangers and mash, but I appreciated the change. Too bad I don’t have a grill so I couldn’t barbecue it for the Fourth. Calling it barbecue might confuse many of you. In New York, at least in Queens where I grew up, barbecue meant cooking on an outdoor grill. When I had the house in Queens it is how I cooked most of the time in the summer and occasionally in the middle of winter. I have cleared a foot of snow off the gas grill to cook on more than one occasion.
I couldn’t record on Monday because of the fireworks do I did that yesterday. I made a new studio in the hallway which has a desk but no windows. That made it quieter. I am excited about this show because I’m playing something unusual. Peter and the Wolf narrated by Dave Van Ronk with music by Uncle Moose and Kazoo-o-Phonic Jug Band. I grew up listening to Peter Ustinov’s narration and the Disney version. I have always loved it. Now I get to play Prokofiev on a Folk Music show. It works, the kazoo makes a much better duck than an oboe. This was the real version where the wolf swallows the duck whole. In the Disney we only think the duck is eaten but it’s not. Notice I didn’t say the duck was killed, I said “swallowed whole.” During the finale of the original Prokofiev, we can still hear the oboe playing the duck’s theme. The duck is alive, but we never learn it’s eventual fate. How does Dave van Ronk handle it? You’ll just have to listen to Gord’s Gold tomorrow night to find out. It’s on at 9 PM.
I’m screwing things up right and left of late miscommunication. I’m feeling antsy and want to shout out everything. I can’t. I have an interview in less than an hour. I’m not as antsy about those as other things. Hell, I get the job and that will more than make up for my other problems. I love the zoom interview look. I’ll be wearing a nice shirt, and gym shorts. From what I gather the consensus now is that you don’t need a tie. I’ll have to shave.
By tomorrow hopefully I’ll have sorted out my other issues. You’ll be busy tomorrow night listening to Gord’s Gold while I’ll be seeing Dar Williams. I hope I’ll have friends there. Everything else is in flux, that’s the antsy part. I better post this and get ready to rock the interview.
Wise Madness 