Crazy Eights

Hey, I remember that game—played it as a kid. Just like “Authors,” we had a special deck with very cool pictures on the cards. I came by my love of card games early.

But this game appears to be a bit different—in the form of a meme, & I was “tagged” by Kate Gabrielle of the wonderful Silents & Talkies & Flapperdoodle & kate gabrielle & now Spiffy. Kate is a fantastic artist, & I recommend her blogs very highly.

So, without further ado, here goes:

8 Things I look forward to (in no particular order):

1. Having a week during which I don't make a trip of over 100 miles more than once (see this morning’s post for more details)
2. Cribbage games with Eberle (see remarks on card games above)
3. Watching our Netflix or old films on VHS together in the evening—lately we’re on a Foyle’s War binge, & we’re also watching Star Trek Deep Space Nine in order from beginning to end (right now we’re at the end of season four)
4. Any time I get a chance to play music, especially for others
5. First cup of coffee in the morning
6. Writing more ghazals
7. Receiving comments from the regular commenters here, & also reading all the lovely blogs I follow to learn what people are doing & thinking.
8. Excursions with Eberle (favorites: going to the Oregon Coast or to Portland, but also taking day trips around here)

8 Things I did yesterday:

1. Went to McCall for a doctor’s appointment
2. Worked on this month’s set list
3. Made a “picnic” of veggie burgers & coleslaw & chips
4. Taught guitar, & worked out fingerstyle arrangements for the lesson
5. Played my wonderful new handmade mandolin—more on that in the near future.
6. Took a nap in the recliner
7. Worked for wages (“telecommuter”)
8. Re-read The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner for the umpteenth time

8 Things I’d like to do over the next few months (This was “8 Things I wish I could do,” but I’d rather look at things that I’m hoping to get done):

1. Get a book of my San Francisco poetry self-published
2. Doing some recording of the music I’m doing at the Senior Centers (& elsewhere), & also recording some instrumental stuff, probably mostly on uke
3. Finding more time to play the banjo—ironically, given the blog’s name, often the neglected instrument in the line-up.
4. Watching more baseball—I subscribe thru mlb.com & really haven’t had much time to watch so far this season.
5. Take a trip to either Portland or the Bay Area with Eberle (we’ll go to the Oregon Coast in the fall!)
6. Get better on my wonderful new mandolin
7. Have a full performing schedule thru the spring, summer & fall (without running myself ragged)
8. Read Kristeva’s Tales of Love & Desire in Language

8 Songs I’m Working On (This was "8 TV Shows I watch," but while we do watch TV shows from Netflix—we don’t currently get either satellite or cable—it struck me that those aren’t as important a recreation as music).

1. It’s Only a Paper Moon (Oh so fun—this is pretty simple by “old standards” standards)
2. Dreamer’s Holiday (I can finally sing this doggoned song—in C!)
3. Brother, Can You Spare a Dime (D minor or E minor? hmmmm)
4. Bach’s Bourée in E minor (on mandolin—I believe this was originally written for lute)
5. Little Maggie (I’m interested in finding a way to play some of those haunting old modal tunes on the guitar without re-tuning & without squaring them off in standard chords—I’ve come up with some chord shapes that approximate what a 5-string banjo’s playing when tuned to “mountain minor,” & it’s really fun.
6. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down & Out (I had it, then tabled it; but I’m getting it back)
7. Mississippi Delta Blues (I always get thrown by the changes & I don’t know why)
8. Duncan & Brady (Still working on breaks for this & trying to find the perfect tempo—this is one I tend to play too fast)

8 People to tag:
Sorry—especially sorry to Kate—but I always fall back on the “consider yourself tagged” line whenever I’ve done one of these memes. One reason is that some bloggers don’t choose to participate—which is totally legit—but then it’s awkward; for another, I always worry that I’ll somehow assume that I’ll think so-&-so might have no interest, when in fact he/she is the one person who really wanted to be “tagged.” So for those reasons, I play it safe. I’m still pondering blogs for passing on the Palabras Como Rosas award….

But thanks again Kate, even if I wimped out on the tagging part!

I have no idea what the pic at the top of the post has to do with Crazy Eights, but there you have it....