One more about other bloggers, or, maybe the Scene had a point...
I've been enjoying meeting and hanging out (and listening to) other bloggers so much that I want to write about it, but after a point it reminds me of that Lewis Carroll story where everyone in a small town made a living by doing each other's laundry...
Anway...two items and then I'm shutting up (about other bloggers for a while).
1. Slartibartfast is a rocker. It's a Christian band, yeah, and if you can't handle Christian lyrics at all, it might not be for you, but I'm telling you, if you avoid Slarti's band for that reason, you will be missing something.
Slarti is one of the keyboard guys and once the music starts, the quiet, shy-ish Slarti we met at the blogger meat-up turns into (1960's reference, watch out!), Paul Revere (not the horsey silversmith guy but the one who lead the 'Raiders), which is to say a geeky dancing, mugging for the audience who is having so much fun it really doesn't matter that the geek meter is moving to the red zone. And, I'm using 'geek' in a very loving manner, btw.
Slarti's band (X-Alt) is quite an ensemble...they got the Memphis-style horns that punctuate the bar, rather than roll all over it, they got not one, not two, but three women who can sing the lights out, and they got another keyboardist who can sing some serious tenor. The Memphis Stax soul oozes through their music even though they appear to be all of the 'blue-eyed' soul variety.
My one complaint: Slarti' only gets one solo. He's got a great rocker voice, and his song just SWINGS. Besides his song, he re-arranged the old Sam and Dave song called 'Soothe Me' to handle some really top-notch harmony and lyrics that weave the band's philosophy into the groove. Slarti NEEDS MORE SOLO.
My one question: They close the first set with 'Put a little love in your heart' and they attribute the song to Aretha. Actually, their arrangement is pretty much a pepped up version of the original by Jackie DeShannon, but hey..it was good.
All in all, it was more than worth the trip to Ashland City. Plus we got to hang with Ms. Slarti and two Slarti-kids. Good family times...
2. With an intro...I don't date women other than my wife. I have plenty of female friends (believe me if you work with the state health department and you don't like female friends you are going to be more peerless than a hermit crab). I actually eat lunch nearly every working day with a woman who is one of the best friends I've ever had...
Back to the point: Staying married, or staying in a monogamous relationship pretty much rules out the dating scene (other than with your wonderful 'other'). Now to the part where this gets to blogging:
I'm a 54 year old male. Even if I was dating, it would be unlikely that I would call up women under 30 (or 40) and ask them out. For me, it would be typically age-inappropriate (not a moral thing..just a personal choice). On the other hand, in the recent weeks, I have met up with a mid-twenties woman in Memphis, a slightly older than that woman in Memphis, two women in Jackson and most recently an under-30 woman in Nashville and I've had at least one meal with all of them. (I've also eaten with other males, but that is not my point here...). I'm hardly a 'lunchtime lothario'.
When meeting other bloggers who have never met you f-t-f before who happen to be women who only know you via a blog, it is probably smart to bring other people along the first time you meet. When I first had lunch with Ivy, she brought her brother for protection, lol. She soon discovered that I was not an axe-wielding pervert and we became good friends.
Yesterday, I 'hooked up' (in a social way, puhleeze) with Emily (Malia's much younger sister) at the Mothership. I had been badgering her to post more on her blog and developed one of the blog-big-brother things and I really wanted to meet her..somewhat because I am rather fond of her much older sister.
Anyway, Emily did the smart thing. She brought to the table: Malia, Malia's husband, Malia's two kids, and I'm pretty sure she paid the bald guy who was pretending not to eavesdrop at the next table to watch out for her. And, I'm thinking I saw the Berry Hill gendarmes pass the establishment more than the usual.
Once again, after she discovered I was not an axe-wielding pervert, I believe all went well. It was a fun lunch. Emily is a little quieter than her sister, and I enjoyed the convo all around. Enjoyed it so much in fact that the restraining order (hey, only 200 feet) really didn't bother me so much.
All of this is to say: Blogging breaks down barriers. People that I would never have met or become friends with for any other reason are now an important part of my life. Some of them, gasp, are not of my political persuasion!. I got to hang with a MUCH younger Theo/Geo'er in Memphis and it was cool. I had fun. Lynnster and I hung in the zone...good times as well. Anytime with Newscoma and the Rodent Queen is bonus time for me...and now I've met Emily, heard Slarti's band and those are good things.
Now WHERE did Lynn put my axe?????
Anway...two items and then I'm shutting up (about other bloggers for a while).
1. Slartibartfast is a rocker. It's a Christian band, yeah, and if you can't handle Christian lyrics at all, it might not be for you, but I'm telling you, if you avoid Slarti's band for that reason, you will be missing something.
Slarti is one of the keyboard guys and once the music starts, the quiet, shy-ish Slarti we met at the blogger meat-up turns into (1960's reference, watch out!), Paul Revere (not the horsey silversmith guy but the one who lead the 'Raiders), which is to say a geeky dancing, mugging for the audience who is having so much fun it really doesn't matter that the geek meter is moving to the red zone. And, I'm using 'geek' in a very loving manner, btw.
Slarti's band (X-Alt) is quite an ensemble...they got the Memphis-style horns that punctuate the bar, rather than roll all over it, they got not one, not two, but three women who can sing the lights out, and they got another keyboardist who can sing some serious tenor. The Memphis Stax soul oozes through their music even though they appear to be all of the 'blue-eyed' soul variety.
My one complaint: Slarti' only gets one solo. He's got a great rocker voice, and his song just SWINGS. Besides his song, he re-arranged the old Sam and Dave song called 'Soothe Me' to handle some really top-notch harmony and lyrics that weave the band's philosophy into the groove. Slarti NEEDS MORE SOLO.
My one question: They close the first set with 'Put a little love in your heart' and they attribute the song to Aretha. Actually, their arrangement is pretty much a pepped up version of the original by Jackie DeShannon, but hey..it was good.
All in all, it was more than worth the trip to Ashland City. Plus we got to hang with Ms. Slarti and two Slarti-kids. Good family times...
2. With an intro...I don't date women other than my wife. I have plenty of female friends (believe me if you work with the state health department and you don't like female friends you are going to be more peerless than a hermit crab). I actually eat lunch nearly every working day with a woman who is one of the best friends I've ever had...
Back to the point: Staying married, or staying in a monogamous relationship pretty much rules out the dating scene (other than with your wonderful 'other'). Now to the part where this gets to blogging:
I'm a 54 year old male. Even if I was dating, it would be unlikely that I would call up women under 30 (or 40) and ask them out. For me, it would be typically age-inappropriate (not a moral thing..just a personal choice). On the other hand, in the recent weeks, I have met up with a mid-twenties woman in Memphis, a slightly older than that woman in Memphis, two women in Jackson and most recently an under-30 woman in Nashville and I've had at least one meal with all of them. (I've also eaten with other males, but that is not my point here...). I'm hardly a 'lunchtime lothario'.
When meeting other bloggers who have never met you f-t-f before who happen to be women who only know you via a blog, it is probably smart to bring other people along the first time you meet. When I first had lunch with Ivy, she brought her brother for protection, lol. She soon discovered that I was not an axe-wielding pervert and we became good friends.
Yesterday, I 'hooked up' (in a social way, puhleeze) with Emily (Malia's much younger sister) at the Mothership. I had been badgering her to post more on her blog and developed one of the blog-big-brother things and I really wanted to meet her..somewhat because I am rather fond of her much older sister.
Anyway, Emily did the smart thing. She brought to the table: Malia, Malia's husband, Malia's two kids, and I'm pretty sure she paid the bald guy who was pretending not to eavesdrop at the next table to watch out for her. And, I'm thinking I saw the Berry Hill gendarmes pass the establishment more than the usual.
Once again, after she discovered I was not an axe-wielding pervert, I believe all went well. It was a fun lunch. Emily is a little quieter than her sister, and I enjoyed the convo all around. Enjoyed it so much in fact that the restraining order (hey, only 200 feet) really didn't bother me so much.
All of this is to say: Blogging breaks down barriers. People that I would never have met or become friends with for any other reason are now an important part of my life. Some of them, gasp, are not of my political persuasion!. I got to hang with a MUCH younger Theo/Geo'er in Memphis and it was cool. I had fun. Lynnster and I hung in the zone...good times as well. Anytime with Newscoma and the Rodent Queen is bonus time for me...and now I've met Emily, heard Slarti's band and those are good things.
Now WHERE did Lynn put my axe?????
