“Constipated Duck”

That’s the title of the third track of side one of Jeff Beck’s album “Blow By Blow”. I just think that it takes a particularly talented musician to name a piece of work “Constipated Duck” and then pull it off in such a classy and sophisticated way. Jeff Beck may be an acquired taste, but I think if you haven’t heard any of his solo stuff you should give it a try sometime. His work with The Yardbirds is probably more well known, and that’s cool too, but his work through the 70’s and 80’s was Beck at his best. Check out “Beck, Bogart, Appice” too if you can.

Jeff Beck passed away at the age of 78 yesterday…just thought you should know.

Peace!

(Couldn’t find a live version of “Constipated Duck” so here’s “Blast from the Past”, despite what the YouTube title says. Enjoy the greatness of Mr. Jeff Beck!)

And then there was one…

Depending on the history or legend that is followed, my Father was the youngest of either 12 or up to 22. Part of the discrepancy in this fact is that my Grandmother had several miscarriages. Why she had so many children, or why she decided to stop when she did is kind of a mystery in that she never felt like she had to explain herself to anyone. There is very little doubt that at the root of her decision was Faith. All of her children were faithful Catholics involved in the churches they attended and included a priest, two deacons, and a nun.

My grandfather died when my father was 5 years old. As such he was raised mostly by his brothers and sisters, and he was particularly close to my Tio Beto. I’m sure it was a different kind of experience for my Dad in that there were siblings of his that he never knew and some that were old enough to have been his parents themselves. As it related to me, there were some cousins of mine that were so much older than me that I thought some of them were my aunts and uncles when I was growing up.

With all the aunts and uncles and cousins that were produced by such a large family, you would think it would be hard to keep track of everyone or that it would be difficult to feel close or intimate with anyone. But I always found it to be the opposite – anytime and every time any of us got together it felt like family. Like just about any family there could be drama but I don’t remember any of it causing rifts or divisions.

And so it comes to the title of this post – out of all of my Father’s siblings, there remains only one living today, my Tia Carmen. In the picture, my Father is sitting on the couch between my Grandmother and his sister the nun, “Sister Tia” as we called her. Tia Carmen, who happens to be Sister Tia’s twin sister, is sitting at the other end of the couch. Tia Carmen loves the Dallas Cowboys and often times when we were over at her house to watch the game we’d be treated to the show that was Tia living and dying with the team. Once I was outside while a game was on and not only could I hear her as though she was right next to me, in my memory, the whole house was shaking as she jumped up and down cheering them on.

While there are still plenty of descendants, it’s still amazing to me that the end of this great family, which I have been a part of for so long, will in some way, be coming to an end, or perhaps more just the closing of a chapter. We don’t get together as a family, or party as hard as they did for that matter, as much as we used to…maybe I need to see about changing that.

Martinez Cousins circa 2013

Peace!

0 – 13,884

“Teams were 0 – 13,884 in the last 20 seasons when trailing by 9+ with 35 seconds or fewer entering Tuesday (Dec. 27th, 2022)”

“I’m tired as hell, I need a recovery beer.”

Luca Doncic – post game comments on Bally Sports Southwest – 12/27/2022

What do you do when it seems like ALL of the odds are against you? That’s really a rhetorical question I’m asking. I don’t know that I ever try to know the odds of whatever I’m doing. I do think I like being the underdog, though.

When it comes to work, if someone asks me if I can do something my general answer is a simple “yes” and then I figure it out if I don’t already know the solution.

When it comes to sports/athletics, I’m more “Han Solo” about it – “Never tell me the odds.” For some, in sports, knowing the odds can be inspiring or a challenge to overcome. Sports are so volatile it seems. In the NFL there’s a term “On any given Sunday”, simply to say that it doesn’t matter what the records are, any team can beat any other team at any particular time.

In that context, I often get frustrated with people who are ready to throw in the towel when the odds are against them because you never know what can happen, in sports OR in life. Sports seems to be a good analogy because if the 0-9 team goes up against the 9-0 team and you just look at the stats and probabilities, then “0-9” should just not show up at all. But they do show up, even if they know they will probably lose. But every once in a while they DO win.

In the case of the Mavericks last night, it might not have been about showing up at all, but just giving up at a certain point…because no one has ever done what they are up against to do. And then they not only do not give up, but they overcome. But what if they hadn’t been able to overcome? What if they came up short? Should we have then considered it all a failure to even try? I think not.

In the bigger picture. when the team I root for is not a good team I feel even more like supporting them. It’s easy to be a fan when things are going well, but shouldn’t you be there when things are going poorly? The analogy I associate this with is when you have children and they are learning to walk. When they first stand upright and try to move forward it almost never goes well the first time(s). In fact, they usually fall, in a sense “failing miserably” in their attempt. But when this happens we don’t ridicule or point out their failure. We do the exact opposite – we encourage them, cheer them on for making the attempt, and urge them to try again – no matter how many times they “fail”.

As a sports fan, whether I am at the game or watching it on TV, I always try to stay until the very end. Not because I don’t want to miss the possible amazing comeback, but to support them no matter what the odds or situation. In sports and in life, I’d prefer to be positive and be wrong than to be negative and be right.

Peace!

“Thunder Only Happens…”

If you have been listening to popular music for the last 50 years or so then you know the rest of that lyric is

…when it’s raining.
Players only love you when they’re playing

Dreams – Fleetwood Mac – Rumours – 1977 – Stephanie Nicks

This post isn’t going to be some deep philosophical analysis of that lyric, the lyrics of that song, or even how that song was somehow influential in my life. No, I’m just going to throw out some lyrics from songs that I like that I think are clever, maybe meaningful, or, mostly, just plain cool…and few quick thoughts.

“Thunder only happens…” is not a clever turn of phrase even, it’s just the way she sings it I guess that I find cool.


I’m a fleabit peanut monkey
And all my friends are junkies
That’s not really true

Monkey Man – Rolling Stones – Let It Bleed – 1969 – Keith Richards / Mick Jagger

I think this lyric just reminds me of how we used to talk when we were kids and just f’ing around with friends and goofing off. It kinda sounds nonsensical and yet…it makes total sense.


And I’m just trying to un-fight my way back in your heart

Come To Me (Peace) – Mary J. Blige – Growing Pains – 2007 – Mary J. Blige, Tricky Stewart & The-Dream

I love the way she sings this entire song…strong, with conviction, but not some over dramatic and formulaic heart tugging blaring. And this line just got to me the first time I heard it. It speaks to the situation she’s singing about – sometimes you need to make up a word or two to get your meaning through.


But you are gone, not for good but for now
Gone for now, feels a lot like gone for good

Happiness – The Fray – The Fray – 2009 – Ben Wysocki / Dave Welsh / Isaac Slade / Joe King

How I felt on the passing of my Dad…and then my Mom…how I still feel about it.


As she locks up your arm in hers
And you follow till your sense of direction
Completely disappears

Year of the Cat – Al Stewart – Year of the Cat – 1976 – Al Stweart / Peter Wood

This actually happened to me. It happened at the State Fair of Texas when I was 12…she was older (probably 16) and I’m sure she was just teasing/playing with me. But it happened…and it was pretty cool when it did.


Everybody’s got something to hide
Except for me and my monkey

Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey – The Beatles – The White Album – 1968 – John Lennon / Paul McCartney

I wish I had a monkey. We would definitely have something to hide…nothing big or life changing…it’s just what you’d do if you had a monkey…at least I think so.


She’s got electric boots, a mohair suit
You know I read it in a magazine…

Bennie and the Jets – Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – 1973 – Bernie Taupin / Elton John

So when I was 7 years old my cousin Timmy (who is 5 years older than me) convinced me that the lyric was “She’s got electric BOOBS”. Now that’s just good stuff!


Those who wish to be
Must put aside the alienation
Get on with the fascination
The real relation
The underlying theme

Limelight – Rush – Moving Pictures – 1981 – Neil Peart / Alex Lifeson / Geddy Lee

For me, this lyric was kind of a call to unity and reconciliation. You can’t be at odds with the world, with other people, if you expect to be content in this life. You have to at least listen to the other side and try to find common ground, and even if you don’t find that common ground, sometimes the effort to get there at least makes it easier to live with the other side…without killing them.


In the days of my youth
I was told what it means to be a man
And now I’ve reached that age
I’ve tried to do all those things
The best I can

Good Times Bad Times – Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin – 1969 – Jimmy Page / John Bonham / John Paul Jones

yes…yes I have.

Peace!

What do I know?!

One of the things I struggle with about this blog is the simple thought that I don’t want to come across as though I’m an expert in anything. I have opinions, thoughts, ideas, and maybe even judgments on various subjects across all parts of life…but I don’t think anyone should view them as much more than what my life experience up to this point has shown me. I believe this is called “Life Experience”.

So then, what is all my “Life Experience” worth, or even what is it good for? I guess if, in the course of reading this blog, you may face something that I have already dealt with in life. Then you see how I handled it and what the outcome was. THEN you decide for yourself if the outcome is one you like and do what I did. If the outcome was not what you want then you just do the opposite of what I did and see what happens for yourself.

I have to say that part of my thinking (or venting if you will) about all of this is that I feel kinda hypocritical. That is to say I have, for quite some time, had “tired-head” with all of the experts and expert opinions that have been available on the internet. There is no real vetting for any of the information that is published out there. I don’t want anyone to think that I think I am suggesting, much less advocating, that anything I say should be authoritative or it’s what you should do or think. (I’m going to continue writing some more here for this post, but I think I just realized that this is basically a disclaimer for my blog!)

Do I know what I’m talking about most of the time? I think that I’m not an idiot…I think I know some facts…I know enough to know that I’m not always right about anything in particular. I try to be considerate and thoughtful in all I say and do…and I know I’m not always successful in that pursuit. I do think I should be given credit for the attempt to be a good human. I don’t mind if anyone calls me on my shortcomings…even when it hurts my feelings.

Ultimately I think I choose to offer up “my life” as an example – not necessarily of what should be done, but so that others can take what I’ve done and learn from it, good and bad, successes and mistakes, triumphs and failures…it is what it is. My middle daughter Jessica once said, “Let me make my own mistakes!” I think maybe I would like to say, “Let me go first and make the mistakes, that way you won’t have to!”

Peace!

Plumbing and me

It might be the fact that I’m cheap, but I try to do most things myself when it comes to repairs. I work on my own cars, appliances, house, toys,…you name it I fix it. Electrical, mechanical, gas powered, whatever…I’m not afraid, even if I should be. So I’ve worked on plumbing before, however this was the first time I used “SharkBite” fittings before. I think it went well. I hope it lasts. If you see anything wrong with what I did, I don’t really want to hear it. Nothing personal, just not up for negativity right now. Is there a lesson in all this? I guess I’m just not afraid to try (or break) anything. Maybe you shouldn’t be either.

Peace!

The Hairy Shirt as a “Hair Shirt”

As it relates to my last post, Sam Watson had written the post “The Hair Shirt“. In it, he described the practice as

Basically, it was a medieval practice of doing penance by wearing an itchy shirt. Typically made from horsehair and wool. Going through the pain and punishing themselves in this way would show how sorry someone was for what they had done.

While this is in general true historically, it’s not the whole of the reason for the practice or how the practice has evolved since those times. “The sackcloth, for instance, so often mentioned in Holy Scripture as a symbol of mourning and penance, was probably the same thing; and the garment of camels’ hair worn by St. John the Baptist was no doubt somewhat similar.” In movies, this practice is often depicted by a person who is usually somewhat disturbed with a need for self-abuse brought on by some abusive event in their past usually committed by someone in authority. This depiction is far from the truth of what this practice should be. In fact, it would not be considered ONLY as a penance as it is not an expiation for a sin that someone would have committed.

The practice has evolved to be intended more as a form of self-discipline to help oneself become right (usually with God) in a reflective way. The “pain” that was self-inflicted was more to remind oneself of a purpose in their life, but not necessarily to inflict pain to teach them a lesson. It’s the same general philosophy as “feel the burn” when working out, or more similar to Muslims fasting during Ramadan. Hakeem Olajuwon famously evolved to keeping the fast during the NBA season even if on a game day. He described it as “a spiritual mindset that gives you the stamina required to play.”

Basically, if treated as it should be, the practice is to increase self-discipline by helping one to focus on becoming a better person either by focusing on “THE goal” or to help one improve on a shortcoming in their life. A greater, as in bigger, philosophical thought that kind of comes from this is the idea of “the redemptive power of suffering” – that perhaps when one gets through tough times they are strengthened by the experience. That’s a much deeper and more involved conversation perhaps for a post in the future.

Consider it a penance if you like that I wore the hairy shirt, but to me, it only helps me to focus on fulfilling my commitment to make a blog post every week.

Peace!

And…We’re Back!

Once again, I blog not because of any need to impart my wisdom to the world, but simply because I was dared to. Sam Watson is the “dare-ee” and will be the sole benefactor of any failure on my part to not blog by EOD Wednesday every week. I didn’t get claification on any other rules or restrictions on this edition of “blog every week or else”. That being said I will be playing loose with the rules and just make sure that I have some words in this space every week by Wednesday night and consider it good-to-go. I’m sure the many reader of this blog will be satisfied with that. (Yes…I left the ‘s’ off of “reader” in that last sentence on purpose…it’s a joke, get it?) So now…what to write?…

Hows about this…I went to the Texas State Fair 5 times this year. It was great all the times we went but going with the whole family was special. All the grandkids, kids, Trish…good-great times!

I’ll write more better stuff next week.

Peace!