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Apparently, it’s me

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So, I had two interesting conversations about my left arm this week. Y’know, the one with the nerve damage and messed-up muscles that hurt when I play the guitar or do the dishes.

First I was talking with my massage therapist and we were wondering about some particular muscles in my left forearm. Without really thinking about it, I showed her the position my left arm and hand are in while I’m playing guitar and a look of horror passed over her face. She saw my thumb position and it all suddenly made sense to her. Those particular forearm muscles are completely engaged in order to put the thumb in that position. So, she kinda said, “Um duh, Tom. You’re doing this to yourself.” And she pointed out that the thumb is the most recent evolutionary part of the human body, so it’s a particularly nasty thing to be using incorrectly.

The next day I walked into my local guitar store with my forearm all wrapped up in tape and Icy/Hot stuff (just like Shaq wears!). My local guitar guru/god asked about the injury and then I asked if I could be pitting the frets of my guitars a little more quickly than expected by maybe squeezing the neck too hard. He looked at me and said, “So you walk in here injured with tired, strained, painful forearm muscles with painful shredded nerves and you think maybe you’re squeezing the guitar neck too hard? Duh! Oh, and your therapist probably said the same thing, didn’t she?” So I’m killing my arm and my guitars.

So, I guess there are two lessons here: 1. Yes, apparently it’s me and 2. Stop strangling the guitar while you’re playing! Less is more. Think of the Alexander Technique tenet about using only the appropriate amount of effort necessary for a particular activity and not more.

Last night I played at Metropolis from 8:00 – 1:30 with a couple of breaks. Tons of fun. I did manage to relax my left hand some of the time. Not all night, but it’s a start. I’ll work on it.

Facebook Messaging and Me (and You)

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So, you’d think that a facebook “page” could send a message to everyone who “likes” the “page.” Well, you’d be wrong. But don’t feel bad; I’m pretty sure it’s them, not you. The logical Plan B would be for the “admin” of the “page” to be able to send a message to everyone who “likes” the “page.” Again, you’d be wrong. And again, I think it’s them, not you.

I ran into trouble when I tried to implement Plan C. I (the “admin”) started sending individual messages to everyone who “likes” my “page.” I was just getting started when an angry red window popped up, telling me that I was behaving inappropriately and potentially bothering people. Something, something, something, block your account, something, to avoid disruption, something, something, must slow down immediately, something …

All this is by way of letting you know that if you’re a facebooker who “likes” my “page,” I’m trying to “message” you with something cool. I hope I’ll figure out the pace that will let me get to you all without forever losing my facebook privileges.

Ten Things, PDX Edition

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Ten Things I Learned in Portland, Oregon

  1. Those dams Woody Guthrie sang about are out this way.
  2. You can get just about anywhere armed with a bus pass and a basic understanding of three bus routes.
  3. I like artichokes more than I think I do but I’m still not crazy about kalamata olives.
  4. The hot chicks do all wear glasses like the song says. Even the road-construction-crew chicks.
  5. The musicians out here aren’t exactly hung up on the whole punctuality thing either.
  6. The subway trains run right up on the streets in the daylight, showing no fear of the sun or of being seen in public.
  7. They don’t call it “Downtown.” They call it “City Center.”
  8. It’s cool to be able to wake to sunshine, drive up a mountain in a blinding snowstorm where they recommend tire chains, drive back to sunshine, then head off to the ocean (with sandy beach and everything) all inside of 24 hours.
  9. My pronunciation of “printer,” when talking about computer peripherals (“prinner”), is a Pacific Northwest thing. Probably an artifact of so much tech coming from there.
  10. I still like traveling with my wife.
  11. Bonus Seattle Thing: I thought the Space Needle would be a lot taller.

For those of you who’ve forgotten, here’s the Ten Things, Santa Fe Edition:

  1. I like planes that seat more than 18 people.
  2. I like more oxygen than they have there.
  3. Albuquerque is 19 exits North-South and 17 exits East-West.
  4. The Spanish owned the Philippines in the 1500’s.
  5. It’s not the corkscrew, it’s the foil cutter blade that upsets Homeland Security.
  6. AngelFire Water really works.
  7. I like hot mineral bath soaks, wraps, and massages better than you’d think.
  8. When you change your flight plans, it’s probably best to let the airline know about it.
  9. Red or Green? Both, please.
  10. I like traveling with my wife.

Brattleboro Fire Relief Fund Update

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Remember how I left TABLE 10 on sale at CD Baby so we could raise some money for the recent fire in Brattleboro?

Well, I’m in Portland, OR. I get an email from the nice folks at CD Baby telling me that the warehouse has run out of TABLE 10 and would I please send them six more. I find a post office and send them six of the ten I have with me. I get an email the next day, thanking me for the six. I get another email the day after that, telling me that they’ve run out again and would I please send them ten more.

So, thankyouthankyouthankyou. Apparently, folks are buying TABLE 10, which means the fire relief fund will be getting 100% of what you spend: my cut, cdbaby’s cut, shipping, whatever, and we can all feel good about ourselves. Plus, you get to listen to some tunes which are, if I may be so bold, not too bad.

If you’re in Brattleboro this weekend, check out the benefit show on Saturday, May 7, noon-midnight. It’s for a great cause and there are people working really hard to make it wonderful. Because that’s how we roll in Bratt!

My Town is Sad

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A couple of days ago a major historic landmark in my town burned. This was a six-alarm fire that dispossessed almost 60 people and businesses right downtown on Main Street. So, my town is sad. My town is also resilient. Being the great community that we are, the big benefit show is already in the works. Saturday May 7. Y’all should go. It will be a terrific show, but more importantly, it will benefit a good cause and it will be a piece of community, which is so important at times like these.

I’ll be in Portland, OR that day, looking for an open mic or a gig so I can send a shout-out (did I really just say that?) to the folks back home.

I’m leaving the CD (and downloads) on sale at cdbaby.com and I will give 100% of the proceeds to the benefit fund, when there is one. That’s 100% of what you spend: my cut, cdbaby’s cut, shipping, whatever. Please, this is an even better reason to buy my CD than last month’s “birthday sale.” And I’ll probably throw in the “birthday sale” proceeds as well.

My alter-ego, Woodbury Solutions, has already started talking with folks about donating some computer gear and config to WVEW 107.7 FM, one of the businesses that’s now homeless.

So, you buy or download the CD, I give the money to the good cause, we all get to feel good about ourselves. Who’s in?

New Lyrics Contest

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So, I’m working on a new song for the past couple of days. I think it’s called “Falling.” It has all the earmarks of being a song that I will a) finish, and b) put on the next CD because it c) should be a hit. And I have a contest for you: I’ll give you a line. It’s not a typical line for me. The first to guess correctly what my twisted little brain thinks comes next (close enough within reason) gets a copy of the first demo I do when it’s finished.

The line is: “This ain’t my first rodeo.”

I do not write songs about rodeos. This song is no exception. And believe me, nobody is more surprised than I to hear a line like this coming from me. But, there it is.

So, have at it. I know the next line. Do you? Lemme know.

Gallery Walk Pics

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Some pics Johanna took with her phone at In The Moment during Gallery Walk. That’s the Taylor Koa T5C2 and me getting to know each other. An A minor chord on Capo 2 makes me think it’s during “You’re The One For Me.”

I really am grateful that so many folks came out on a kinda cold March evening to hang out, buy some vinyl, and listen. There were a lot of fun folks who came by. Someone showed up with a video camera on a tripod, shooting for a “blog” of some sort. And some folks said some astoundingly kind things about my stuff. Gosh! Byron’s already booked me for the end of summer. Gotta bring some new tunes and another goofy cover. Hmm…

On a personal performance note, I nailed the ending of a song that I don’t play very often since the time it freaked out my in-laws so much one night. 🙂 Casey was there; she’ll tell you.

I Kissed a Girl

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Really nice turnout tonight. Fun folks. For those of you who missed it, the promised (via Facebook) “cover song I decided to do about ten minutes ago” was “I Kissed a Girl.” Kinda fun. It garnered the appropriate chuckles and raised eyebrows. I chose not to mess with any of the gender stuff, keeping it “pure.”
I really enjoyed playing, what with all the physical therapy and massage and MRIs and such that have been going on lately. So, there’s that, too.