The AH Coffee Shop and Reading Room 02: A Comma (is a Restful Pause)

[MagicaPractica]

The upside for me is that DST gives me enough time in the evening to light up the barbecue. I don't think I'll take it out of it's cover until next weekend. The weather here Sunday and Monday isn't going to be barbecue weather.

Same here.

I know. I work in the bowels of a concrete shoebox and there's no windows and it's all artificial lighting. Just walking out into fresh air is great. Sunlight is bliss. Warm spring sun ..... I just love it

Spring and fall are my favorite.

 

[Hypoxia]

I'm back, after a fashion. We'll see how long that lasts. Coffee ASAP, yes.

Meanwhile, my virtual mandola (a taropatch 'uke with strings in fifths) is en-route, the instrument from New York, the strings from England. Funny thang. Two sets of these Aquila strings shipped from London cost less than one set shipped from Boston. Good thing there's no tariff on nylgut strings.

Wait, did I say coffee? I smell it out there somewhere...

 

[NotWise]

I'm back, after a fashion. We'll see how long that lasts. Coffee ASAP, yes.

I wondered where you'd got off to.

 

[TxRad]

Freh coffee for the midnight crew.

A shower and bed, me thinks. Good Night all.

 

[Hypoxia]

I wondered where you'd got off to.

First, escape from an oncoming blizzard that we couldn't have driven through. Then a dash for a fast-tracked medical procedure that proved unnecessary. Then back to our lodge RV park.

More hanging around in exile, including touring wine country and revisiting our old Santa Rosa neighborhood, incinerated a few months ago. Our former home is now merely one of thousands of bare lots ID'd with Debris Removal tags. Part of a neighbor's cinderblock wall remains. All else is gone.

Just before we escaped the snow, WiFi on my old laptop died. That kept me quiet; forum life is hard with only a tablet. I ordered a USB-WiFi adapter and inserted it a few hours ago so I'm back on the air now. Watch out!

It's almost midnight and I'm thinking of coffee. I'm also thinking of what to call my incoming taropatch 'uke as virtual tenor mandola. Is it an 'Ukola or a Mand'uke?

 

[Handley_Page]

I know. I work in the bowels of a concrete shoebox and there's no windows and it's all artificial lighting. Just walking out into fresh air is great. Sunlight is bliss. Warm spring sun ..... I just love it

What the architects and designers of such a building fail to sort out is the right sort (colour temperature) of the lighting and the colour/s of the paint or pipes/tubes. I reckon they should be encouraged [forced] to work in that environment for at least a year.

Just before we escaped the snow, WiFi on my old laptop died. That kept me quiet; forum life is hard with only a tablet. I ordered a USB-WiFi adapter and inserted it a few hours ago so I'm back on the air now. Watch out!

It's almost midnight and I'm thinking of coffee. I'm also thinking of what to call my incoming taropatch 'uke as virtual tenor mandola. Is it an 'Ukola or a Mand'uke?

Erm. . . Taro-what ?

 

[TxRad]

It's morning for another few minutes anyway. Fresh coffee for the nooner and afternooner groups.

AA beautiful day here. Bright sunshine and 80. What's not to like.

 

[ChloeTzang]

It's morning for another few minutes anyway. Fresh coffee for the nooner and afternooner groups.

AA beautiful day here. Bright sunshine and 80. What's not to like.

I'm moving. It was below freezing this morning, grey and cold wind....and I'm taking a nap. I slept for about 10 hours last night and now I'm sleepy again. Catching up maybe.

 

[NotWise]

I rehung the front gate, probably temporarily, and did my spring pruning. I could nap any time now.

 

[ChloeTzang]

I rehung the front gate, probably temporarily, and did my spring pruning. I could nap any time now.

Had my nap and looked outside and SNOW!!!!!

I stopped looking, put a fire on and I'm going to write for the rest of today and check again tomorrow. Spring might be here by then

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Chipped some - some - of the ice and snow off the drive. Supposed to hit above freezing every day for the next week.

 

[TxRad]

Was going to write some but I got hijacked down to Houseguests place to measure out for fencing and a couple of sidewalks. She also wants the turnaround widened and a storage room on the back of the carport. Luckily I can farm out most of the actual work.

I'm getting bribed with chicken fried steak, green beans and mac and cheese for an early supper. Bribes of another kind will come later, I'm sure. Not that I'm complaining in the least.

Fresh coffee and kettle for the evening crew. I'd better do it now as I think I'll be busy later.

 

[Hypoxia]

What the architects and designers of such a building fail to sort out is the right sort (colour temperature) of the lighting and the colour/s of the paint or pipes/tubes. I reckon they should be encouraged [forced] to work in that environment for at least a year.

USA judges may consider that cruel and unusual punishment, like cattle prods in court. Oh wait...

Erm. . . Taro-what ?

Sometimes all multi-string 'ukes are so labeled, but taropatch 'ukes are generally 8-string tenors tuned like wee tiny 12-string guitars. My 6-string tenor is really a Lili'u with a unique stringing. I'll redo the incoming 8-stringer as a tenor mandola ==> Mand'uke! Or maybe 'Ukola. I already have a little 'Ukelin, a soprano whose single-string courses are tuned like a mandolin.

These small lutes are somewhat interchangeable. But diverse stringings and tunings make them unique instruments. That's the fun. Now, why hasn't all the snow melted yet? And where's the coffee?

 

[TxRad]

USA judges may consider that cruel and unusual punishment, like cattle prods in court. Oh wait...

Sometimes all multi-string 'ukes are so labeled, but taropatch 'ukes are generally 8-string tenors tuned like wee tiny 12-string guitars. My 6-string tenor is really a Lili'u with a unique stringing. I'll redo the incoming 8-stringer as a tenor mandola ==> Mand'uke! Or maybe 'Ukola. I already have a little 'Ukelin, a soprano whose single-string courses are tuned like a mandolin.

These small lutes are somewhat interchangeable. But diverse stringings and tunings make them unique instruments. That's the fun. Now, why hasn't all the snow melted yet? And where's the coffee?

The coffee is on the counter in the glass pot. Do you need detailed pouring instructions? Don't forget the cup.

 

[sharingfantasies]

Rain, rain, lots and lots of rain. From the Grand Canyon to the Gulf of California. Supposed to snow next weekend. Spring? What spring?

 

[Handley_Page]

USA judges may consider that cruel and unusual punishment, like cattle prods in court. Oh wait...

Sometimes all multi-string 'ukes are so labeled, but taropatch 'ukes are generally 8-string tenors tuned like wee tiny 12-string guitars. My 6-string tenor is really a Lili'u with a unique stringing. I'll redo the incoming 8-stringer as a tenor mandola ==> Mand'uke! Or maybe 'Ukola. I already have a little 'Ukelin, a soprano whose single-string courses are tuned like a mandolin.

These small lutes are somewhat interchangeable. But diverse stringings and tunings make them unique instruments. That's the fun. Now, why hasn't all the snow melted yet? And where's the coffee?

You make it sound like a guitar could be re-tuned in a similar manner !

And now I heard to sound of a boiling kettle and a cup of Tea.

 

[NotWise]

Rain, rain, lots and lots of rain. From the Grand Canyon to the Gulf of California. Supposed to snow next weekend. Spring? What spring?

I hope that holds together long enough to reach us with some moisture left. Maybe La Nina is breaking down.

Anyway, I'm going to go get some potted pansies. It's spring enough for them.

 

[TxRad]

I hope that holds together long enough to reach us with some moisture left. Maybe La Nina is breaking down.

Anyway, I'm going to go get some potted pansies. It's spring enough for them.

The NASCAR race at ISM is under a rain delay.

 

[NotWise]

The NASCAR race at ISM is under a rain delay.

I imagine that's pretty unusual, but it's still on the other side of the Mogollon Rim. A lot of storms leave their moisture behind when they come over the rim.

 

[The_Fool]

Thinking one last cup for the night.

 

[TxRad]

Thinking one last cup for the night.

Oh wow, a Fool sighting and I missed it.

Okay, so I'll freshen the coffee for the midnight crew and refill the kettle.

Time for bed here.

 

[Hypoxia]

You make it sound like a guitar could be re-tuned in a similar manner !

Yes, a guitar can be restrung in fifths and played like a banjo, mandola, octave mandolin, bouzouki, cittern, etc. One of my 12-string Turkish lutes is so setup. It's a bear to play as a solo instrument because of the long scale (distance from nut to bridge) and extended tone range, and the fat bass string is hard to finger. Chording is tough. Shorter 4-string tenor guitars in fifths tuning are fairly popular; Jack White of White Stripes sometimes plays such. This is much-discussed at mandolin websites.

Many tuning systems are possible; few are common in the West. Re-stringing and re-tuning makes a box a different instrument. Take any such box, apply appropriate strings, and it becomes an 'uke or mandol or mountain dulcimer or 'ud or classic lute or steel guitar or thrashing machine.

And now I heard to sound of a boiling kettle and a cup of Tea.

Time for more cocoa here. Gotta sleep some time.

 

[Handley_Page]

Good Lord; And I never knew. . . .
Ah, morning; time for a decent cup of coffee.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Ugh. Daylight Savings Time. Coffee, please. Two of them. Big ones.

 

[MagicaPractica]

Ugh. Daylight Savings Time. Coffee, please. Two of them. Big ones.

Still workin' on my first, but I concur.