Year end 2020 – well, that f%$&ing sucked, huh?

First up, I want to clarify – no one in my immediate family has gotten sick, or suffered undue financial (or mostly any other kind of) stress.  So in a lot of ways I consider myself lucky at this point.  But enough people close to me have suffered and are suffering, so that the pain is quite real.  I also consider it fortunate that my temperament is such that I’m fine with staying locked up in the house, alone much of the time, and I don’t mind it.  More time to read, and listen to music, and practice.  Trying not to get too squirrelly, so that when we can “play outside” again, I’m not totally anti-social.  At least, no more than I was. 

The big news of the year personally is that after 20+ years at my latest, I was able to leave my IT job.  Working from home may have hastened it – I really did not enjoy the experience.  Staying home was ok, working from home?  Not so much.  Maybe because I actually tried to work?  Anyway, I’m already feeling the benefits of being rid of that job.

I got a fair amount accomplished – released 5 records.  4 that were recorded last year and finally mixed this year.  One – String Quartet #3 – that was written this year. 

Reading - Spenser, Spenser, and more Spenser.  Re-read a lot – jazz bios, Asimov Robot series. 

Listening - Cannonball, Sonny Rollins, Haydn symphonies, Mendelssohn Overtures, Weather Report studio records, singers – June Christy and Anita O’Day, Bill (William O.) Smith.

Watching – too much news, Law & Order (regular and SVU). 

Got to see La Boheme at the Met before the world stopped turning.  Odd to think that that could be the last big event I go to.  Very few gigs – a cool live-stream, but nothing going on. 

Losses – Neil Peart.   Wow, the impact of that is still heavy.  Peter Green, Lyle Mays, Pete Way, EVH, Paul Chapman, Leslie West, Lee Konitz, Jimmy Cobb, Vic Juris, Bucky Pizzarelli, McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Heath.  Shit.

Can only hope the New Year brings about much needed relief.  It would be nice for the world to return to normal.  The biggest thing I miss is walking around a book store, or record store.  Getting coffee.  It was nice getting to spend time outside – always seemed to have hawks fly overhead to say hello (this even happened yesterday!).  So, when we can, it’ll be time to “attack the day like birds of prey”.