Keeping at it

Currentish Events

Friday
Did nothing at all, no excuses, just laziness. I even bailed on going to a dance performance with the LUC.

Saturday
Began hand to bike combat. My utility bike, the one I use to haul groceries and whatnot, needed a new bottom bracket. It should have been replaced at least 2 years ago but somehow I never got around to it. The price of my tardiness was the rust that kept me from removing the old guts. Even the biggest wrench I own with a meter long cheater bar attached wouldn't budge it. This wasn't really a surprise. Nor was I taken aback when the environmentally friendly penetrating oil didn't make any difference. I was a bit concerned when the incredibly toxic bolt loosener didn't help, but not to worry I had a plan:

The instructions on the nasty penetrating oil said to tap the parts whilst applying. The vibration is suppose to help it work in. I laid the bike on it's side, filled the bottom bracket with oil and duct taped a vibrator to the frame. I left it that way for the rest of the day, occasionally applying more spray. This visual image still makes me smile.

Sunday
By Sunday afternoon I'd pretty much lost hope. But that evening just before bedtime: success! It was just a matter of not giving up.

In the end I didn't do anything musical the whole weekend. Most of the time my hands were covered with oil and toxic chemicals, not the best for handling guitars. Or LUCs, bocchi balls and small children for that matter, but what they don't know won't hurt them.

Monday
Band rehearsal. Well, that was the plan anyway. K called P a couple of hours before to say he was in British Columbia. P didn't manage to get a hold of me as I was out buying a new bottom bracket.

Because the xtracycle was out of commission I had to hand carry all my gear up the hill. Grumble, grumble, if god wanted us to walk he/she wouldn't have invented bicycles, grumble.

We used the time to get the drums right in stereo mics. It's a matter of moving it a little, recording, listening carefully and moving it again. Very tedious for anyone not directly involved in the moving or hitting aspects of it. This is the way recording was done before mutlitracking was invented. It's time intensive and not very high-tech but if you get it right the recording will sound like a real band playing in a real space.

Days like the last few feel like treading musical water. No forward motion but no loss either. It's a bit discouraging but bikes must be fixed and the non-musical life must be lived.

I've often felt that if I couldn't outplay the better musicians around me, I'd outlast 'em. It's just a matter of remembering to not give up.