It’s that time of year again! Only from now on, my actual age shall be unspoken. You’ll just have to figure it out from all the clues, like the fact that I was born on the exact same day we dropped the second atom bomb [left] on Nagasaki. Yes, I bring this up each time. Wouldn’t you? In any case, hardly anyone will know. The effort involved in adding or subtracting is just too much, and I doubt whether any of the first 10 people you ask on the street can tell you who was fighting whom.
(It seems Japan and radiation go together these days, too. I wonder if we cursed them.)
A year ago today I was on the road again, coming back from Austin after visiting my dying sister. Having the time of my life, in a manner of speaking—like one does when leaving so much sadness—except I couldn’t, really. Not even having the back roads of Texas all to myself in a cool rental car could make the other thing go away. Charging ahead in all that heat and flash, not knowing what was going on or what to do. When she slipped away a few weeks later, I found out… Poor Teresa, brave and true. We all miss you so!
Time is moving even faster now. On May 5th my other sister and I put our mother in a home and took her money. (So to speak, of course.) Being exactly what she feared the most, it gave the act of mercy great conniving righteousness and zeal. Big-time stuff, too, ending decades of terror with just one ride in a car. A few days later, with the Dow at 12,630, I visited Morgan Stanley Smith Barney and sold all her stock in one fell swoop. “Is that your final decision?” the financial advisor asked. I paused four beats to scan for inner warnings, found none, and said yes. He punched two keys on his keyboard. Six figures worth of shares went bye-bye, BOOM!
Three months later, the world is in a freaking mess. My response on Monday was to decide to buy a MacBook Air. The 11-inch model with 4 GB of RAM and a 128 GB solid state drive is just what every writer needs—in fact, I think you have to have one now. The cost is half a minor windfall I acquired recently and was saving to give back to Mr. Visa, but who the hell does that?!? Besides, next week the airplanes may not come from China.
One has to look ahead, you know.
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{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
happy birthday John!!!!
i already have an airbook – though the previous generation from a couple years ago: *slightly* fatter (like a few micrometers worth) and “only” a 64G SSD & 2G RAM. also some months back i got a mac mini for use *exclusively* as an entertainment machine: iTunes, watching dvds & streaming netflix & youtube – for a monitor i’m using a 52″ sharp quattron LCD tv (which i also have hooked up to the DirecTV). how’s that for excessive media-tech over indulgence? (to quote Iron Maiden: “Baaack in the Village/Again in the Village/IIIII’m baaaaack in the Village agaaaiiiin!!!!”
). but damn, it looks sweet!
my bday’s on the 20th (44 – how the hell did THAT happen when i wasn’t paying attention?!?!?). for that specifically i just got a new analog sequencer unit from germany for my synthesizer rig. that one is at least semi-justified/rationalized by it’s being a creative tool i can use to make art (which the macs are too, of course – but i have the big quad-core Mac Pro as the Music Machine – 8G RAM & dual terabyte drives in that one).
(and i just had to hook up to the satellite tv so i wouldn’t miss the new season of Breaking Bad, a.k.a.The Greatest TV Show In The History Of TV Ever.)
might as well get the Nice Toys while we’re still around to enjoy them, right?
An analog synth from Deutschland? Sounds serious!
I only just ordered the Air. Some buffetting from guilt storms over reckless spending. On the other hand, I’m almost dead. Onward!
it is – check them out:
http://www.doepfer.de/home_e.htm
there’s a quote i remember from an interview with Devo 30 years ago: “We don’t have to waste time with drugs. We have a far more expensive habit: synthesizers!”
and there’s always that little twinge of “should i *really* be dropping a chunk of change on this?” but you gotta enjoy yourself while you can. as long as you don’t ruin your life or go totally bankrupt what the hell!
Happy birthday! Yesterday was my son’s 23rd. He’s got his whole life ahead of him, yet what kind of world will it be when he’s my age? Don’t want to think about it. Vacation right around the corner – to cooler climes! Colorado here we come.
Thank you!
Well, we have our lives ahead of us, too. We just won’t be in our 20s again.
Have a good time in Colorado. My wife’s family used to rent a so-called “cabin,” actually a nice little home, outside of Estes Park. I enjoyed the few times I stayed there before her parents got too old (there’s that thing again) and had to give it up!
Happy Birthday.
When they dropped that bomb I was already indoctrinated against the Japanese sub-humans and the the godless Krauts by gods chosen people the protestant Americans. It took a good portion of the rest of my life unlearning that and many other lies.
Hang in there, you have lots of stories to tell yet.
Happy Birthday.
Sometimes I think unlearning all the lies takes more than just one lifetime. After finally figuring out what’s true, I still have the lies I told myself to deal with.
Anyway, thank you for your greeting! And I do have lots to tell yet…
happy birthday john!! looking forward to another year of stories,insights,and photos!!
I’ll do my best, and thank you very much! How are you guys doing? Has your wife moved down here yet? I think I’m supposed to know that, but I’ve just been too self-absorbed.
Happy Birthday John! I just bought a new air myself…the 13 incher.
It seems incredible to me that the two of us are still here blogging. I seem to remember that at one time all the bloggers of New Mexico could fit inside a VW bus (with the doors open). You’re looking great and so is Farrfeed! Cheers.
Johnny_Mango
Hey Jon, thanks for the kind words!
A 13-incher, eh? I already have a laptop that big, my 2006 original white MacBook, used mainly by my wife unless I’m on the road. That still works fine as a backup production machine, same apps as on my iMac, but it won’t run Lion! (Core Duo processor, not Core 2 Duo, rats.) So the writing is on the wall…
I don’t know how I’ll feel using the 11-incher, but it really has a different purpose. I want this guy to be an ultra-portable writing tool. The obliteration of all excuses, haha! With both machines running Lion, I can Air Drop files between them, and when we travel—if we ever do—my wife won’t have to wait until I go to the bathroom to check her email. That’s the idea, anyway.
Happy 66th, John! Keep the inspiration coming.
You’ll love the MBA. They’ll pry my 13″ out of my cold, dead hands!
Thank you!
I hope I like it. This should be small and light enough to carry in a backpack. I’ve got some ideas.