Friday. Thank <insert deity of choice> it's Friday. It always seems so far away on Monday, and boom, it's here. The last day of the week I spend ensuring I maintain a focused routine of am and pm habits that keep me sane. Or perhaps keep whatever sanity I have from diminishing further. Lauren went to the Senior Awards event Thursday and returned, having gotten two recognitions. We were so happy for her. Jen was upset that she wasn't there to see it, and I think it meant something to Lauren to have that level of attachment and support. I tried out the record player again at Pano, and now there are issues with the turntable speed. It's not a big deal; it's just a fun diversion. I took the platter off and worked my way through the mechanisms until I came to find the culprit is likely an aged and weakened spring. I may try to tighten it this week. I dug up Linda's father's old LPs and found some fun stuff. She held onto so much history. It's all wonderful to see and appreciate, but… now what? I need to sift through it another time and thin out perhaps a few treasures. Including a Louis Prima and Keeley Smith LP whose inner sleeve has a hand-written note from her father about going to pick up her mother. That's a unique item to have out amongst the handful of LPs I already have retained through my history. I'm thinking more about gutting the console's interior to convert it into a functional cabinet. It's such a fun piece to have, I'm happier with its size now than I was initially, but we won't use the turntable over streaming options throughout the house. Turning the speaker grill sections into hinged doors and putting the printer in it (which we use enough to warrant having within reach) along with shelves and bins to store cables and such. It's far down my list of priorities, but it was fun tinkering Thursday. Speaking of music, I've started reading a book I started in 1999, set down and did not pick up again for these past 22 years. "A Cure For Gravity." It's a bit of a departure from my usual solemn focus on death and mindfulness, but it stays within the lines of autobiographies and music. I did a deep dive into Henry Mancini Thursday, finding the perfect music for dinner parties or wine tastings, which hit on swing tones, samba and cha-cha. "Cha-cha" trigged a recollection of my love for Joe Jackson's "Body & Soul" release, which has "Cha Cha Loco" on it, amongst others, all just excellent tracks. I respect this man's art and craft as much as I do Elvis Costello, and for the same reasons – their deep insight and understanding of music across multiple genres. Jackson's catalog spanned rock, punk, new wave, big band, symphonic, pop, jazz, funk, etc. His repertoire is broad, and this book exposed me to his educational background (he won a scholarship to study musical composition at London's Royal Academy of Music) and his eloquently worded deep attachment to the wondrous impact and effect music can have on the soul. That's what resonates with me so profoundly. That's what he's referring to as a cure for gravity. So I repurchased it via the Kindle and started reading it last night, continuing tonight. It's inspirational. I also played Diana Krall's "All For You" for Jen tonight, and she loved it. I shared that with Panorama, my intention with not having a TV is that we'll share and enjoy more time listening to music, reading books, talking and entertaining. And less time subject to a barrage of marketing-driven drivel. The less time I spend 'watching,' the more time I get to participate. I also managed to get the Vegas trip mapped out further over the past two days. It's going to be an enjoyable experience. More on that later. Closing the entries, Tommy bought a Mercedes. I am not 'happy; about it, as I think it's an impulse purchase, but he did manage to get an excellent deal, and it's hopefully going to be a vehicle he's less inclined to tinker with and trick out. I feel there are so many more important things to have chipped away at his inheritance than this, but at 18, there's no doubt I would have done the same thing. He doesn't listen to me when I try and give him advice, and I am learning not to. I didn't think my dad had a clue either. Man, I wish I'd known better but don't we all? Oh, and this week I learned that there's a "pinched fingers" emoji! 🤌🏻
📊 seven-day averages: ⚖️ 162 lbs,❤️ 64.3 bpm, 👣 4108.3 steps, 🧘🏼7 min