Almost Missing Memphis

The highlight of my life, lately, has been playing with Sande and band.   She took a trip to Memphis for a week and wanted to play some while there.

As it turns out, she wanted to play at an open mic just blocks from my old abode.  It is also just a block or two from Steve, the snakedocs bass player.

Upon arrival she discovered that her guitar was in two pieces, with the head dangling by the strings.  United struck again.  No telling if it was the Memphis work force or not.  I'll take this opportunity to reiterate my educated viewpoint regarding the Memphis workforce, in general; worst, most dishonest, incompetent and lazy workforce I've ever seen.   Obviously, there are A team people no matter where you go.  In Memphis, they are just fewer, and their colleagues are sorrier than most, if not all, others.

So, I reach out to my old pal Steve to help out Sande.  He was able to loan her a guitar, and even have her play her stuff during his group's breaks.  It turns out they were playing down the street from the O.mic venue, an hour or two earlier, so she played their breaks, then hit the Cabana place and played.

It sounds like it worked out.  Steve was playing with a group other than the Snakedocs for this Cooper-Young deal, although the docs are still going and doing Beale once or twice a month.  It was good to hear I'm missed.

Speaking of missed; it was not the same here at all.  We played two days of Day of Dead here--almost 8 hours total.  Then she jets off to Purgatory (Memphis is, in fact, Purgatory).  The playing in the interim was interesting at times but felt off to me.

Finally, we had a practice, sans bass player, and it was a relief.  I'm pretty sure this is the thread that keeps me moving at the moment.  Every morning and day are spent avoiding this ...whatever the hell it is..physical troubles.  Isn't improving much overall.

I'll see what the test on the 20th yields and then decide if I ever go back or just deal with it however.  They can't cure much, so sometimes you have to decide if pursuing the prescribed official medical route is a waste or not.  Usually it is if it involves any trouble shooting.  Such a drag.  They play the God role to the hilt, even when they can't fix you.  That is the scam side of that industry. Their tendency to do that pretense of omniscience slows the progress of healing, but so be it.

One has to decide when the medicos are worth the money and when they are just going through motions with no clue.  I have a fair guess at how it will play.  It is worth having evidence and deciding myself what it means.  Rehab in this case will be a very difficult process which will require discipline and a desire to thrive.  Both those things are not commonly a part of me lately.

I wanted to be in Memphis to play with Sande, and then to go crash the next Snake doc gig on Beale. Little flights of fantasy.  The humidity would most likely leave me itchy and burning and all that.  Pretty sure that altitude and low humidity are my friend right now so I'll stick in Cali until it is impossible or I have outgrown this madness.  Then I'll probably go back east, or not.
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